Unearthed Secrets
by TrixieNancy124
Summary: On the day of an important exam, Sam disappears, leaving everyone worried. She resurfaces a day later, along with a certain someone, unearthing secrets and evil ploys along the way. Sam/Scam. Rated T to be safe. COMPLETED. NEW UPDATE 30/4/20- Bonus Chapter!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone its been a while! *waves* Hope that everyone is well!**

**This new TS story is a product of a random thought and the many mysteries that I have been reading haha. Hope you'll like it!**

**Disclaimer: As always, I don't own the characters. Credit goes to the wonderful creators of the series. I merely borrow the characters and spin tales based off them. **

* * *

**Unearthed Secrets**

Chapter 1

**12.00 am, Spies Villa. Sam's room. **

Samantha Simpson (fondly known by her friends as 'Sam') yawned tiredly as she willed her eyes to focus. She was seating in front of her study desk, hunched over a thick textbook. The words had long became a blur to her, and she realised that she had been staring at the same page for the past ten minutes without absorbing anything. The superspy groaned, trying to blink the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"Come on Sam. Just a little while more." She urged herself. She was pretty sure she was the only one in the villa still awake, with Alex and Clover having retired to bed an hour before. There was an important Criminology exam tomorrow morning, and Sam was doing her final revisions.

She stood up and walked around her room, reading the words on the textbook out loud in an effort to memorise and also keep herself awake.

She never noticed two sets of eyes outside her window trained on her form, too focused on her studying.

After successfully going through another three pages of notes, Sam's eyes threatened to close once more. The superspy knew her body well and decided to call it a night. _I'll need all the energy I need for the exam tomorrow. _She reasoned with herself.

"Finally." One of the figures huddled in the shadows muttered as he watched the young woman begin to pack her books. "I thought she'll never decide to sleep."

"Ow, my leg's starting to cramp." The other one groaned, stretching his leg out as silently as he could without making a sound.

"A little while longer my friend. She'll be out like a light soon enough." The first figure said in a low tone.

Oblivious to the danger that lurked in the shadows, Sam quickly brushed her teeth, turn out the light and settled into her warm bed with a sigh. Autumn had hit, and the night was rather cold, even though she was in long pants. Fatigue washed over her like waves as her body moulded into the mattress. She casted her worries about the exams at the back of her mind, and snuggled deeper into the covers.

In no time at all, Samantha Simpson was fast asleep.

The two figures by the window waited with bated breaths for another thirty minutes. Once satisfied that the young woman was sound asleep, did they fish out their equipment, and proceeded to climb through the window (which Sam had left open just a crack).

Their landing was soft on the carpet. Both intruders were tall, standing close to six feet. They were clad in full black, and ski masks covered their features. The leader of the two was of a much more athletic build compared to his counterpart. The stockier one unzipped his carrier bag, removing a cloth, as well as a bottle of liquid.

"Hurry up you oaf." The other urged his companion, whom unscrewed the bottle cap and hurriedly poured some of the sweet-smelling liquid onto the cloth. Unknowingly, his rough actions sent some of the liquid spilling onto the carpet beneath his feet.

As silently as they could, the two intruders crept towards the bed. Sam's breathing was still even and slow, proving that she was still sound asleep. Studying had worn her out completely; she wasn't aware of the eminent danger that she was in.

In one swift motion, the leader had wrapped one arm around Sam's petite form, while the other arm pressed the cloth tightly against her mouth and nose. Immediately, Sam's spy senses jolted into motion and she woke up. Her green eyes widened in horror when she recognised the sweet smell immediately. _Chloroform. _

As ironic as it may seem, all traces of spy training were forgotten as survival instincts kicked in. She started to trash around, trying to break away from her attacker.

"Get hold of her!" The one holding her barked, pressing the cloth harder against her mouth. His stockier partner didn't have to be told twice and immediately moved to hold Sam's body down. The superspy continued fighting back. She even managed to land a kick on the stockier man.

"Ouch. Why you…" The man swore and his hold on Sam tightened.

"Jab her if you have to." His partner replied. "This one's feisty."

Sam's eyes widened on hearing that sentence and squirmed in the men's grip. She was already beginning to feel slightly lightheaded due to the chloroform. The stockier man did not think twice at his partner's words. He whipped out a needle from his pocket, making quick work of removing the protective catch. Sam felt a sharp pain on her thigh a few moments later. It wasn't long after did the superspy succumbed to darkness.

The intruders' grip on Sam loosened. A pointed look from the leader had the stockier man scurrying for some rope to tie the superspy's arms and legs together. They couldn't take any chances with this one. "Let's get her get out of here." The leader muttered once his partner was done.

A few minutes later, Sam's room was deserted, the window left wide open.

* * *

**Some hours later…**

Sam groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. Her eyelids were heavy and she felt her head pounding. The first thing her senses registered was that she was lying on something cold and hard. _Did I fall out of bed? _But as she blearily opened her eyes, the memories of last night hit her.

Someone, no some people, had been in her room. And they had injected something in her. Not to mention use chloroform on her.

A quick physical check on her body yielded no physical wounds. She was still clad in her long pajama pants and top. Now, she was grateful she had decided on more conservative sleepwear rather than a nightdress. She glanced down at her hands and legs, noting the red abrasions on them, and how sore they felt. _They restrained me? But why release me then? Are they not afraid I'll escape?_

Sam scanned her surroundings. She was in a small jail cell, with a small window high to the side that also had bars all around. The bars in the jail cell also made it impossible even for a child to fit through. Lying on the concrete floor, she spied a bowl of water and a packet of bread in her line of sight. She slowly pushed herself into sitting position, ignoring her thirst. There was no way she was going to drink the water, not after what had happened to her. Who knows what poison her attackers could have laced the food with?

The superspy crawled closer to the bars of her cell. She gripped the bars and craned her neck out. The corridor was brightly lit, and Sam could clearly see the empty cell on the opposite side of the corridor. She closed her eyes and listened hard. Apart from her own breathing, she could not detect any other sounds in this prison she was locked in.

"Anyone there?" While it seemed that she was alone, Sam wanted to be certain. Her voice echoed down the corridor, but there was no reply.

Sam leaned her body against the wall, closing her eyes once more as she tried to recollect what exactly had happened. Her mind was still a little fuzzy, but she remembered going to sleep, then waking up abruptly to the sweet smell of chloroform. There were two of them, both clad in ski masks. Sam focused on remembering how their voices sounded like, but muffled by the ski masks, she couldn't pinpoint who her attackers were specifically. Unconsciously, she massaged the area on her thigh that the needle had been pierced through.

_But why kidnap me? Revenge? As leverage? _Many years of being a spy for W.O.O.H.P meant that Sam (and her friends) had countless enemies. Any one of them could be the mastermind behind this. She wished that she had her phone, X-Powder or even a gadget with her, anything that could help her get out of this situation.

_I just hope Alex and Clover will realise that something's wrong. _Sam sighed again. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**7.15am, Spies Penthouse. **

_Knock Knock. _

"Sammy? Are you awake?" Alex leaned her head towards the closed door of her friend's room. There seemed to be no sound coming from Sam's room. Her brows furrowed slightly, Alex rapped twice gently on the door again.

"Sammy?" Finding no reply, Alex grasped the doorknob and turned. She opened the door just slightly, but it was enough to tell that there was no one on the bed, nor in the room. Alex shut the door behind her.

"She's not in her room." The athletic super spy said as she re-joined Clover in the kitchen. "Weird…"

"That IS a little weird. But don't worry about it. You know how Sam is during finals. She probably is already on campus to do some last minute studying before the exam starts at nine." Clover mused from her position at the dining table. The blonde haired spy had prepared some pancakes and was currently attacking them with vigor.

"True. But she didn't mention last night that she would be heading to campus early did she?" Alex mused.

"Don't worry too much Alex. I'm sure she just decided to head down early. Remember last semester when she took that philosophy class?" Clover said. Alex nodded, and plopped down on the stool opposite Clover. It was true. After several years of living together, the two superspies were aware of how antsy Sam could get during examinations. There had even been a few times where Sam practically slept in the college library because she was afraid of being late for her exams. This had also happened last semester, with Sam stressed by a philosophy exam. Hence, her absence was brushed off by the two superspies.

"I'm sure you're right Clover. Anyway, I really need to eat then get down into the books. Urgh. I hate exams." Alex served herself some pancakes as well.

"Tell me about it." Clover groaned. "I can't wait for them to end."

* * *

**9.30am, Gabriella Simpson's bookstore**

Gabriella Simpson loved her job. She was the owner of a quaint little bookstore in her town, and she loved interacting with the many avid readers, or just curious people in general that would come to her store. There was something satisfying on being able to recommend good reads for people based on their interest or personalities. At that moment, Gabriella Simpson was alone in her bookstore, setting up to get ready for the day. Her partner would arrive an hour later.

She was mid-way arranging the stack of new arrivals when her cell phone rang.

"Who could be calling this early?" She mused, going to the counter to pick up her phone. It was a number that she didn't recognise.

"Hello?"

"I would like to speak with Gabriella Simpson please." The voice was female, with a pleasant but a no-nonsense tone.

"Speaking. May I know who is on the line?"

"My name is Lucy Onley, and I am calling from the Malibu University Office. You are listed as the emergency contact for a Samantha Simpson?"

"Yes. She is my daughter. Is anything the matter?" Gabriella Simpson leaned against the counter, concern evident in her voice.

"Actually yes. There is a examination going on right now for a Criminology module that your daughter is taking. Samantha is the only one that has not turned up, and the professor is concerned because she is a student that is very passionate about the subject. We've called her mobile but no one seems to be picking up. She might fail this module if she doesn't turn up for the exam. We just wanted to check if everything is alright?" At Lucy Onley's words, Gabriella Simpson's brows furrowed.

"Not turned up for an exam? That's very unlike my daughter." She replied. "I'm not too sure, she lives with two of her friends near campus. I'll give them a call to check up on the situation and get Samantha to get back to you. Thank you for calling."

"Not a problem Mrs Simpson. Have a nice day." The caller hung up.

Afterwards, Gabriella Simpson stared at her phone for a good half a minute. Worries and fears were running through her mind. She knew her daughter well. Academics was something her only child took pride in. Something major would have to have happen in order for her to miss an exam. Accidents, injuries… She didn't want to think about the possibilities of what could have happened.

She rang Sam's number. But no one picked up.

Taking a breath to calm her racing heart, Gabriella Simpson scrolled through her contacts and called Alex, one of Samantha's housemates and best friend. Hopefully the athletic girl could clear up the air.

At that very moment, Alex was hard at work studying for her Psychology exam that would take place that afternoon. She had a bowl of blueberries in front of her and was snacking on the fruits as she studied.

The dark haired superspy only looked up from her notes when her cell phone rang. Picking it up, Alex tilted her head to the side when she saw the caller ID. It was Sam's mother. _Mrs Simpson? Why would she be calling? _But Alex didn't hesitate on answering the call.

"Hi Mrs Simpson. How are you?" Alex said.

"Hello Alex. I'm fine thank you." Sam's mother sounded worried. "Is Sam at home?"

"She's having an exam on campus now Mrs Simpson. Did something happen?"

"That's why I'm calling. The school administrative office just telephoned. Sam hasn't showed up for her exam."

"What?" Alex was momentarily stunned. "But…Sam's been out since early this morning. She of all people would die before missing an exam." She answered, raking her fingers through her hair.

"Are you sure she's out? Like you said, Sam's not the kind to miss an exam. I fear she overslept or something." Gabriella asked.

"I'm pretty sure." Alex stood up and made her way out of her room. "I'll check her room again now Mrs Simpson. Give me a moment."

"Thank you, Alex dear." Alex could the older women sigh. The gears in Alex's head were turning rapidly. _If Sam wasn't at home, nor on campus taking her exam, where could she be? _

Alex quickly walked down the hallway and to her friend's room, opening the door and stepping inside. "She's not here Mrs Simpson." The athletic spy reported, letting her eyes sweep around the room. The bed was messy and unmade, the window wide open. A quick check of the closet yielded nothing either. Alex's brows furrowed when she spied Sam's mobile phone and X-Powder on her nightstand, while her friend's backpack rested on the ground. Her spy senses jumped out at her. Something was not right.

"I'm sure she's fine Mrs Simpson." Alex said instead. She did not want to worry Gabriella Simpson unnecessarily. "When she comes back I'll get her to call you immediately."

"That would be great Alex. Thank you." Mrs Simpson sounded ten times older as she cut the call.

Alex hung up the phone and sighed. She looked around the room again, her eyes finally landing on the X-Powder and mobile phone. All spies have been trained to never leave home without their X-Powders. Plus, Sam's natural cautious personality meant that her phone was almost always with her as well. To have both devices left behind was very strange. No matter how she tried, Alex couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

"Clover…?" She backed out of the room and ran to call her other friend. "Something's not right!"

* * *

Clover had taken a good look at Sam's room and agreed with Alex's gut feeling. Adding on to the disturbing phone call received from Mrs Simpson, both girls were truly beginning to worry about their friend. With her phone and X-Powder here, they had no way of tracking Sam's whereabouts.

Fifteen minutes later, both Clover and Alex were on Clover's X-Powder, conversing with Jerry.

"Left her X-Powder and phone you said? Not gone for her exam? Oh my, this is truly disturbing indeed." Jerry exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Her backpack and books are still here too Jer." Clover added. "Doesn't look like Sam was heading out for an exam if you ask me."

"When did you last see her? Could she have gone out just to clear her head or something?" Jerry asked rationally.

"She was out by the time the two of us woke up this morning Jer. If so, something must have happened to her. You know how Sam is like, she wouldn't miss school unless necessary, let alone an exam!" Alex replied.

"What about her room? Anything suspicious? Signs of forced entry or a struggle?"

Alex and Clover shared a look. "You think Sam's been kidnapped?" Clover voiced out what both were thinking.

"It is a possibility. It is very unlike Sam to just disappear like that. Either she was forced, or she's doing this intentionally."

"Well…No signs of forced entry, although her window has been left wide open. It doesn't seem like there was a struggle either." Alex reported. _If you don't count the rather messy bedspreads. _The superspy thought silently.

"Could you do something Jer? Her mother is pretty worried." Clover said.

Jerry sighed and thought for a moment. "Her X-Powder and phone are here, so that rules out tracking her location. What I can do is I'll contact the local police to keep an eye out for her. She can't be reported missing unless 24 hours have passed, you girls know that. And I can get access to the CCTV footage from the cameras near your villa too, just to be safe."

* * *

On Jerry's end, he could see that Alex and Clover were visibly relieved at his statement. He knew that both superspies were worried about the strange circumstances surrounding their friend's absence and disappearance. He felt the same too. But the law was still the law; there wasn't much he could do until 24 hours have passed.

"I'll let you girls know if I find anything." At that moment, there was a rap on Jerry's office door. He looked up and saw the person behind the glass doors waiting for him. His eyebrows raised a fraction, but he morphed his facial expression to be more neutral. It was as if he wanted to mask his current emotions from the whoever that was outside. "Talk to you girls later. Don't worry."

Straightening his posture, Jerry gestured for the person at the door to enter. The person strode in with firm, purposeful steps. Jerry schooled his expression and met the sea-foam eyes that were staring intently at him. "What can I do for you…Tim?"

* * *

**This is Chapter 1! Hope you guys liked it. I don't know exactly how many chapters I'll do just yet; it'll vary as I write I guess... **

**I'll try to post the next chapter soon. Have a good day! **

**TrixieNancy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 2

* * *

**10.45am, W.O.O.H.P HQ**

"I need to take two days off Jerry." Tim Scam began without preamble. Jerry cocked an eyebrow at the man before him.

"Can I ask why?"

"I'm heading down to San Diego."

"You know I can't allow that Tim…" Jerry shook his head as he raked his fingers through his head. "The W.O.O.H.P Reformatory Program contract you've signed explicitly states that you can't leave L.A, not until your probational period is over."

"Then put a tracker on me or have me make mandatory check ins at certain times of the day, whatever it is!" It was the first time in a while Jerry had seen Tim Scam loose his cool. "I need to go to San Diego, Jerry…please." The final word was said in a whisper.

Jerry sighed and stood up, circling around his table so that he was standing right in front of Tim Scam, once the most dangerous criminal, now under the new W.O.O.H.P Reformatory Program. Tim looked desolate, and desperation was clear in his sea-foam eyes.

"As the head of W.O.O.H.P, I can allow an exception Tim…But you have to tell me WHY you need to be in San Diego." Jerry had seen the old Tim Scam, the hardworking man who was dedicated to achieving justice, re-emerge in the past eight months. At first, Jerry had been sceptical when Tim declared he wanted to be part of the pilot run for the reformatory program. But he was glad that Tim Scam had decided to turn over a new leaf. His performance over the last eight months had never once lead the head of W.O.O.H.P to doubt otherwise.

"It's my Aunt Lorraine Jerry…" Tim Scam shook his head. "She's not doing well. Susanne called me."

If memory served him correctly, Tim's last living relatives was his Aunt Lorraine and her daughter, Susanne. After his parents' death, Tim's aunt was the one that had raised the teenaged Tim. He had met her once, long ago, when Tim had been a new recruit. She had to be almost 70 now. "I'm sorry to hear that Tim."

"I haven't seen her in years Jerry…And I owe my life to her." Tim said. "I don't think I'll be able to live with myself if…" He trailed off, not wanting to go down that route.

"I understand Tim. Don't worry about it. Go. I'll give the clearance." Jerry finally said. He knew the importance of family. And besides, something in his heart told him that Tim Scam could be trusted once again.

"Thanks Jerry. I'll check in with you three times each day." It was as if a weight had been lifted off Tim's shoulders.

"Just check when you can Tim." Jerry patted the younger man's shoulders. "Focus on spending time with your family."

"Thanks Jerry. You have no idea how much I appreciate it." Tim Scam said.

As he left his boss's office, Tim Scam was grateful for how much trust Jerry Lewis placed with him. The fact that Jerry had allowed him to leave, as well as not place a tracking device on him, was luck on his part. For Tim Scam had something else other than visiting his Aunt Lorraine to accomplish in San Diego as well, one that he couldn't let Jerry know about…

* * *

**10.30am, Spies Villa, Living Room. **

After the conversation with Jerry, Clover and Alex went back to their studying. The confirmation of Sam's disappearance (and possible kidnapping) had rankled, and both girls took their exam revisions in the living room to provide each other the silent comfort they both needed. Clover's last exam was Advanced Shoe Theory- to be held the next day.

Alex on the other hand, had her exam taking place in a matter of hours. The superspy willed herself to focus on her psychology notes. However, her traitorous mind kept wondering to Sam. _Had she really been kidnapped? _That felt like the only possible explanation now. _Even if Sam wanted to disappear, she wouldn't just pack up and go without telling us…right? _Alex sighed.

"I hope Sam's okay…" As if reading her thoughts, Clover suddenly voiced out. Alex looked up from her notes to see a troubled frown on her normally chirpy friends' face. Both were keeping up a brave and false front by studying, but the elephant in the room was hard to ignore. Mustering a smile, Alex reached across the island to give Clover a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

"Sam's strong. I'm sure no matter what happens, she'll be fighting hard." Alex said, trying to reassure not just Clover, but also herself as well.

Clover smiled weakly back. "Yeah…But you know what I mean. It's just so unexpected. What if…she never comes back?"

"Don't think that way Clover." Alex chided her friend gently. "We don't know for sure what has really happened yet. No matter what happens, we'll go through it together." The two superspies shared a quick hug. Eight years of friendship had them as thick as thieves. They were always there for one another, and this time it wouldn't be any different.

"You're right. She's a fighter." Breaking away from the hug, Clover smiled slightly. "Until Jer finds out more, there isn't much we can do. Not to mention we still have these," Clover glanced pointedly at Alex's psychology notes, "to conquer as well."

Alex groaned. "Just as I was about to forget about psychology…" Nonetheless, she agreed with Clover's sentiment, and the two superspies resumed their exam revisions.

* * *

**Unknown location, 9am (An hour and half ago) **

After regaining consciousness the first time, Sam had fallen into a restless sleep while leaning against the concrete wall next to the bars of the jail cell. The sound of a metal door opening and closing down the hallway stirred her out of her sleep.

Sam groaned and stretched to get rid of the kinks in her body. But she stopped in mid-movement when she heard footsteps.

Two sets of footsteps.

Walking down the hallway.

Approaching the cell she was in.

Immediately on the alert, Sam got up on shaky legs and assumed a fighting stance. The footsteps got closer and closer, now in sync. They made loud sounds that echoed through the empty corridors. Sam could see the shadows on the ground growing, growing, growing…

"Ah, I see our little guest of honour is awake." Sam heard the voice before she saw who it was. _That voice. I know that voice. _She tensed.

"Myrna Beesbottom?" As the figures stopped directly in front of her cell, Sam could see indeed it was, Myrna Beesbottom. One of the ex-members of the LAMOS, who was also the spies' ex-nanny that tried to marry Jerry. Next to her was a man Sam did not recognise. He was tall, faired skinned and with a big built, with honey coloured hair. He face held an air of contempt and aloofness. Yet, he stood respectfully behind Myrna Beesbottom.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who exactly was in charge between the two of them.

"Haven't heard that name in a while sunshine. I kind of go by Michelle Backert these days." Her ex-nanny smirked. It had been almost six years since Sam had last seen Myrna Beesbottom. The woman should be about sixty now. She had aged slightly but retained her curvy figure. Sam had no doubt Myrna's agility and athletic abilities still remained as well.

Myrna's eyes raked Sam's form, and nodded in satisfaction. "And I haven't seen you in years either sunshine. You were still a young, naive little thing when we last met weren't you? Look at you. What a beauty you turned out to be. Don't you think so Del?" The last part of Myrna Beesbottom's sentence was directed at the man behind her. The man named Del merely smirked, and Sam shivered at the predatory gazes that were directed towards her.

She took a breath to steady her nerves. "Flattery will get you nowhere Myrna. How did you escape prison?"

Myrna threw her head back and laughed. "Didn't have to. My sentence was shortened from seven to five and a half years, thanks to 'good behaviour'". She air-quoted the last two words with a hand.

"Well, clearly that went downhill after you've been released. Still going back on your own ways Myrna? What, has five and a half years taught you nothing?" Sam dropped her fighting stance, seeing as how there was a jail cell separating her and her ex-nanny, and the latter didn't seem keen on unlocking the cell anytime soon. However, her senses were still on high alert.

"Where's the fun in living a mundane life?" Myrna rolled her eyes. There and then, Sam decided that she really needed to have a talk with Jerry on mandatory emotional and psychological therapy for all criminals while they were in prison, and for them to have completed it before release. If memory served her right, Myrna Beesbottom had opted out of the (optional) counselling. _And she's still as deranged as ever. _

"So Myrna…why kidnap me? To get Jerry's attention again? As revenge?" Sam raised her eyes to meet her ex-nanny's cold ones.

"Still so smart my dear. Revenge yes. But not just to W.O.O.H.P my sunshine. I have more than one fish to fry this time." She smirked.

"Oh you just couldn't be more specific, could you?" Sam muttered sarcastically under her breath. But her heart had quicken at Myrna's words. Unlike most of the other members of the LAMOS (with exception of Tim Scam), Myrna's plans were intelligent and well thought out. Who knew what her ex-nanny had up her sleeve? And what did she mean about having more than one fish to fry? Whatever it was, Sam hoped to be able to escape before she found out.

* * *

**1.20pm, Spies Villa**

It was only after lunch, when Alex had left for her psychology exam did Clover release a breath she had been holding. Many unanswered questions about Sam's disappearance was still swimming in her head, and she was itching to investigate. However, Clover didn't want to further worry Alex, whom she knew was stressed out as it is by her psychology exam that day.

_Studying can wait. _Clover casted a distasteful look at her messily scribbled notes for Advanced Shoe Theory. _Time to hunt for clues. _With a push of a button, Clover changed from her dress into her red spy suit (because hey, one needs to hunt for clues in the right attire, right?).

Clover pushed open the door to Sam's room. She and Alex had left Sam's room exactly how it was after their friend's disappearance was confirmed. Secretly in their hearts, both spies knew that it was also just in case Sam's room turns into an official crime scene. It would be better to leave the room as untouched as possible. Clover hoped that it wouldn't have to go till that extent.

Slipping on some gloves, the superspy got to work. _Forgive me for invading your privacy Sammy. But we're just concerned about your safety. _The first thing she checked was Sam's phone, lying innocently on the bedside table. Sam did not turn her phone off.

5 missed calls and 13 unread messages.

Clover quickly scrolled through them. Alex had filled her in on the details that Gabriella Simpson had shared. Two of the calls had local numbers, and by the timestamp (slightly after 9am), the superspy assumed that it was from the University. One of the calls had come from Sam's mother herself. And finally, there were two miss calls by a number that Clover did not recognise. Sam did not have the number saved in her phone either. One came in slightly after 8am, and the other just an hour before.

"Interesting…" Clover murmured to herself. She quickly noted down the phone number. It could be nothing, but if necessary, she'll put a trace on the number. It might very well be a clue.

Clover turned her attention to the text messages instead. Several were from her course mates from Mali U, and a few worried messages from Sam's mother and father. Gabriella Simpson must have informed her husband of what had happened. Clover guilty skimmed over the text messages she and Alex had sent their friend this morning, conveying their 'good lucks' for her Criminology exam. An exam her friend had ended up not taking.

Nothing else jumped out at her.

Setting the phone back down on the nightstand, Clover moved on to Sam's schoolbag that was on the floor. A quick check yielded Sam's purse, with all the cash, credit cards and even her driver license still intact. Dread was beginning to creep up Clover's spine. _Even if Sam orchestrated her own disappearance, she would need some cash and most importantly her driver's license. _Clover crossed the room, throwing Sam's closet open. As far as she could tell (because Sam had a LOT of clothes), everything was in place. The superspy struggled to blink back tears as the idea of Sam being kidnap became a more likely possibility with every clue she found. But after a moment they were suppressed, forcefully pushed to the back of Clover's mind as she focused on what was most important.

_If she was really taken…Then where? And how? _Seeing as how the signs all pointed that Sam did not intend to leave the house, the logically explanation was she was taken from the house.

Maybe even from this room.

_But how did they manage to get in? _The trio had a state-of-the-art security system installed in their home, courtesy of Jerry. Clover had been the one to activate the alarm the night before, so she knew that they couldn't have came through the doors without triggering the alarm.

Her eyes travelled to the window, that was still left wide open. She knew that Sam had a habit of leaving her window open to ease stuffiness.

Quick as a wink, Clover was at the window. It was only a short drop from said window to the ground below. _Wouldn't be difficult for someone to get in and get out. _Clover dashed out of Sam's room, with the intention of investigating the window from outside.

"I knew it." The blonde superspy said triumphally, after a closer look at the area right outside of Sam's windows. The grass behind one of the bushes beneath Sam's window had been trampled on. Adding on the fact that it last rained two days ago, it proved that someone (or some people) had been there recently. And was it her imagination, or was that a partial shoeprint on the whitewashed wall? _That settles how they got in._ Clover snapped photographs with her X-Powder.

The evidence was quickly stacking up and Clover did not like the conclusion one bit. "Time to call Jerry." She said to herself as she headed indoors.

* * *

**Unknown location, 12pm (Two hours ago) **

"You know you need to eat and drink to stay alive right?" Del, Myrna Beesbottom's henchman said bluntly. The well-built man had been ordered to station himself outside Sam's cell, while Myrna took care of some business.

"You know kidnapping someone is illegal right?" Sam shot back bitterly. After Myrna Beesbottom left her alone with a supposed bodyguard, it hadn't taken long for Sam to discover that Del was one of the men that kidnapped her. She had been absently massaging the area on her thigh where she was sure one of her kidnappers had jabbed her when Del had first spoke, telling her that the dull ache from the jab would eventually subside. She had narrowed her eyes and demanded him to explain how he knew such specifics, and Del had openly told her about it.

He had been the leader of the operation to abduct her.

"We've been over that sunshine." Del rolled his eyes. "I was given specific orders."

"That still doesn't make what you have done legal." Sam muttered, pacing up and down the cell.

Del threw his hands in the air. "We can argue about this the whole day. My point is, you ought to drink that," he eyed the bowl of water on the ground, "and eat that." He then looked pointedly at the bread. "To keep your energy up."

"Well pardon me for being cautious and wary." Sam snapped. "I think I've earned the right to be so after what has happened." Gosh, she hung around Clover too much. Her friend's sarcasm was really rubbing off her.

From the corner of her eye, she could see her comment had riled Del up. His fingers were clenched in a tight grip, and he seemed to be trying to control his temper. After a moment, he spoke again. "The food and water are not spiked, that I can assure you."

Sam only looked at him warily.

Del sighed. "I was the one that placed the bread and water in your cell sunshine. I think I'll know if it's poisoned." She was not the only one who could be sarcastic.

Sam still did not look convinced. "Why would you want to help me keep my strength up? Wouldn't you prefer me to be weak, that way I can't fight back?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Whatever it is, my orders are to keep you alive. And how else do you expect to try and stop whatever plan Michelle- or Myrna, whatever her name is has, if you don't have the strength?" Del avoided her question.

The redhead superspy took a bite of the bread, using the moment to let Del's words to sink in. She was very confused. The Del that was speaking reason with her now was completely different from the first impression of the man she had got when he had accompanied Myrna. But somehow in her heart, she felt like Del could be trusted, despite the side he was on. Besides, her thirst and hunger was getting the better of her. Wordlessly, the superspy took a long drink of water, before opening the packaging on the bread.

Curiosity got the better of her, and Sam walked to the bars of the cell so that she was eye to eye with Del. "You're different from the other villains I know. Why did you choose this life?" Del looked to be about the same age as her, or at the very most only a few years older. His demeanour and character, from what Sam had seen, was different. She could picture someone like him flourish in a place like W.O.O.H.P.

"It's a long story…" Del was doing the avoidance dance again.

She stated bluntly, "I have time."

* * *

"Hello Clover. What can I do for you?" Jerry had picked up Clover's call almost immediately. He was frantically typing something on his computer.

"Any news Jer?" Clover couldn't help but ask.

The typing stopped. Jerry sighed and met eye contact with Clover. "I've just gotten permission to access the CCTV footage along your street. But the director will need another hour to retrieve it and then send me the footage for analysis. I've cleared things up with the university too."

"And her parents?" Clover pressed on.

Jerry raked his hand through his head. "I haven't told them yet. I'm not even sure what to tell them." He sighed again.

Not knowing what to say, Clover chose not to comment. Instead, she gave Jerry a run down on the clues she had uncovered.

"The evidence speaks for itself. I don't like where this is going, Jer." She confided.

"I know Clover. We'll know more when we get the CCTV footage. In the meantime, put a trace on the number that you said called Sam's phone. It could be significant."

"Got it Jer."

"And Clover…Do you girls still have spare gadgets with you?"

"I always have a lazer lipstick and bubble protection bubble gum with me Jer. And I'm sure Alex keeps an expandable mascara brush and hairpick lockpick too." Clover knew what Jerry was getting at. "Don't worry about us Jer, we'll be on our guard."

"I know you will be Clover." The corners of Jerry's mouth twitched. "I'll be in touch."

Clover cut the call and said a silent prayer for Sam's safety. Placing a trace on the phone number she had found on Sam's mobile; she left her X-Powder alone to do its job. The superspy then forced herself to get back to the books, knowing she still had an exam the next day.

* * *

**That's Chapter 2! What do you guys think? **

**Thank you for those that reviewed. I really appreciate all the feedback and comments I'm getting so far for this story; they really keep me going and motivated! **

**Until the next update!**

**TrixieNancy**


	3. Chapter 3

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 3

**12.15pm, Los Angeles**

The moment Jerry had given him the green light, Tim Scam had wasted no time. He headed home, packed a travelling bag, and was en route to San Diego within the hour. He was dressed in his trademark beige trench coat, along with a black shirt and khaki pants.

While waiting for the traffic light, Tim made a phone call.

"Susanne? It's me." He spoke to his cousin. "I'm coming down to San Diego. Is the address still the same?"

"That's great. Yes it is. Mum will be so glad to see you. I'll give her a call. Drive safely yeah?"

"I will Sus, thanks. See you later."

All down the drive to San Diego, Tim Scam's mind was preoccupied. It was not just because of his aunt's worsening health, but also due to a disturbing image that he had received via text that morning.

It was a picture of Sam, unconscious, bound and held in what appeared to be a jail cell. All the blood had drained from his face, and his heart skipped a beat when he first saw it. There was a caption beneath the photo.

**Meet me by the abandoned werehouse, tonight 10pm, alone. No W.O.O.H.P, no police, no tricks. Or she'll pay. **

There was an address stated as well, that was in San Diego. The sender had been anonymous, and the multiple calls and text messages Tim had made to the number had been futile.

Tim's first instinct was to inform and clarify matters with Jerry. However after some thought, he began to fear that the kidnapper had him on surveillance and would go through with their threat.

Hence, against his better judgment, Tim had kept mum, and schemed for a way to head to San Diego alone.

The plan was to spend the afternoon with his aunt, then leave by 9.15pm to get to the address by 10. His mind kept wondering who was behind all this, who would be so bold to kidnap a W.O.O.H.P agent, and a superspy no less? And why come after him?

Did they know how much Sam meant to him? But they have been so careful to go under the radar, especially since he was part of the Reformatory program…

Or were the two of them just a pawn, on a much larger chess board?

_I have to save her…_ Tim's grip tightened on the steering wheel as a deep frown graced his handsome features. _She's one of the few people I've got left…_

* * *

**5.00pm, Spies' Villa**

By the time Alex returned home, exhausted from her psychology exam, the trace of the phone number that Clover had placed on her X-Powder had came back- to a burner phone. The device had been switched off, so there was no way on tracking just where the call had came from. A dead end. Clover had just updated Alex on the events of the afternoon, when the girls felt the ground below them shake. The two spies shared a look.

"I hope this means Jerry has some ne-" Alex had just began to speak when the ground completely opened and swallowed them up, cutting Alex's words off.

"Sometimes I swear Jerry needs a normal way of W.O.O.H.P-ing us!" Clover cried out as she slide down the tunnel, Alex right behind her.

The two superspies landed in a heap on the couch in W.O.O.H.P Headquarters. Regaining their bearings swiftly, they stood up. Their neutral expressions immediately shifted to one of concern. On the large screen behind Jerry's desk, the CCTV footage near their home was paused.

Jerry merely greeted them grimly. "Hello girls. There's something you need to see." When he was sure he had both spies' undivided attention, Jerry hit play.

Alex and Clover watched in trepidation as the fast-forwarded clip showed two shadows, decked in black, approach their villa. The time stamp read 11.15pm. The two intruders barely even glanced at their front door, instead skirting to the side of the house where Sam's room was.

Clearly, they knew what they were doing; a targeted attack. Unfortunately, the intruders went out of the camera's view not long after.

The streets were quiet until about 12.30pm. The superspies' eyes widened in horror as they witnessed the same two intruders hurry away, carrying an unconscious Sam. Their friend was bound at the wrists and legs as well.

"Sammy…" Alex whispered. Her heart hurt. Clover blinked back tears.

With a heavy heart, Jerry turned off the CCTV footage. The screen turned black. He met Clover and Alex's watery gazes. "I'm sorry girls. I know this must be hard to take in."

"Why are they doing this? What are they after?" Clover cried out after a moment of silence. Jerry reached onto his desk and picked up a sheet of paper that was in a clear plastic folder. "Leverage."

With shaking fingers, Alex took the paper from Jerry. Words were printed in big, bold letters.

**Prepare three of W.O.O.H.P's high sonic ray guns. Details of drop off will be sent to you. Otherwise, say goodbye to the redhead superspy. **

"The high sonic ray gun?!" Both spies shared a dreaded look. The high sonic ray gun was one of W.O.O.H.P's most ingenious, yet deadly creations. It was even deadlier than a gun; for the speed and trajectory of the ray was faster, and more accurate than a bullet. Along with the high temperature of the ray emitted, the high sonic ray gun would bring about instantaneous death.

And for the kidnappers to request for three of them? The two superspies couldn't imagine the types of possible havoc that could result from it. Powerful leaders could be easily be coerced if the device fell into the wrong hands.

It was why manufacturing of the gadget had stopped and the few prototypes placed in cold storage.

"Are you going to give them what they want Jer?" Clover tentatively asked. It was an ethical dilemma. On one hand, W.O.O.H.P had a duty to the world. However, they had a duty towards their own agents too.

"I won't do that." Jerry was firm in his reply. "But neither will I leave Sam to die either. We need to find her before they contact us again."

Clover and Alex nodded in agreement. Jerry began to pace up and down. "One of our agents was given this note in an envelope by a young child this morning, just outside W.O.O.H.P. Aside from their two sets of fingerprints, there were no others found. Our security tape doesn't show anything suspicious either." He said matter-of-factly.

"What about the CCTV footage you just show us Jer? They would need to have a car or something right? In order to…kidnap Sam?" Alex spoke up. Her voice wobbled slightly at the word 'kidnap'. "Do you have footage from the other CCTV cameras?"

Jerry nodded. "In fact they just came in." The head of W.O.O.H.P hit a few keys on his computer, and in no time at all the trio was viewing the CCTV footage taken from another angle. They watched as Sam was brought into a blue sedan.

"There." Jerry paused the video when the car (that was driving away with the two intruders and Sam) was close enough to the CCTV cameras. They had a license plate number.

"I'll run it now. But it'll take a while." Jerry declared. "They might have taken her out of the city. Oh and Clover, pass me the burner phone number you found. I'll have a location trace placed on it just in case."

"Roger that Jer… But is there anything we can do in the meantime?" Clover asked. At first glance, her expression showed determination, but Alex could see the concern and worry reflected in her friend's eyes.

"I'm afraid there's not much to be done. This is the best lead we've got. I'll inform her parents and also get the police to be on the lookout for the car. In the meantime, I know your last examination is tomorrow Clover. Focus on that first. Sam wouldn't want you to fail your exam because of her." Clover looked as if she was going to argue but knew that Jerry had a point.

Jerry walked over to one of the gadget dispenser machines and brought out something that looked similar to an underground metal detector. "This is the ESA- Evidence Sweeper and Analyser. It's still a test product; but has so far not failed any of our trial runs."

He gestured to the top part of the device which had a screen and scanner attached to it. "It works much like your X-Powder sensor and analysis system, so I think you'll find it easy to use. Alex I'll need you to go through every inch of Sam's room, especially near the bed, floors and windows. Hopefully, the intruders left clues that we can trace back to them."

Alex received the gadget and nodded firmly. "Gotcha Jer. I'll work on that ASAP."

"Don't worry girls. If they are using Sam as leverage, they'll have to be keeping her alive." Jerry patted both girls on the shoulders, determination clear in his eyes. "We'll find her."

* * *

**7.30pm, Unknown Location. **

Sam had spent most of the afternoon examining every inch of the cell she was in. There was no sharp object, or anything remotely useful she could find to aid her in escaping. Even a close check of the toilet situated at a far corner did not yield anything useful. The cell was fully concrete; there were no weak spots whatsoever as far as she could tell. The window was a lost cause as well- too small and too high above.

The redhead spy was stumped. She did not like the idea of being a sitting duck, but it looked like that was all she could do.

_Next time, I'm wearing a hairpin lockpick in my hair, even when I sleep. _She decided firmly, rolling her eyes. The one time she needed that gadget, she didn't have it.

It didn't help that Myrna had the foresight to always have a guard stationed outside her cell. Not long after she had finished the bread, a stockier man that Sam had never seen before had arrived with some more food. He had claimed that Myrna wanted to see Del about some business and had been ordered to take his place.

Sam was very sure that this guard was the other kidnapper.

This stockier man was colder, and not open to conversation as Del was. Not to mention he was incredibly cocky. Despite the situation, Sam would rather have the company of Del over her current bodyguard. At least she'll have someone to talk to, even if Del tended to skirt certain topics.

Left to her own devices, Sam finally sat down to organise her thoughts. She couldn't understand why Myrna would go through all that trouble to get revenge on W.O.O.H.P. Sam could think of at least five other ways off the top of her head for revenge, without having to risk the act of kidnapping a superspy. Either the jail term had done a blow on Myrna's IQ, or there was something she wasn't getting here.

_She did mention she had a bigger fish to fry…_Sam thought. But who else could Myrna get to by kidnapping her?

_Jerry? Clover and Alex? My parents? What would she want from them? Money? Power? Corporation? Myrna of all people should know that W.O.O.H.P agents stay true to their morals…_And she was certain that Jerry would have already gotten in touch with her parents.

Sam briefly wondered what would happen if Myrna's demands (whatever they were) were not met. What then would happen to her? Would she be killed? Left to rot and die? Sam let out a shaky exhale.

_Mustn't think that way. Jerry and the others will find me. I'm sure of it. They must have known by now. _

It was sometime after Sam had watched the shadows of the sun disappear (through the windows of her cell) did she hear new footsteps approaching. She got up from her sitting position and approached the cell grills.

"Hello sunshine." Myrna Beesbottom sang, evil mirth in her eyes. Standing respectfully behind her was Del. He had changed his clothing and was decked in full black. In fact, Myrna too, was dressed in black. As if she was going somewhere.

"Myrna." Sam greeted back coolly.

"You look cozy in here." Myrna made a show of taking a long, pointed glance around the jail cell. "My my, you could make this your new home."

"Spare me the small talk Myrna, what do you want?" Sam didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Such a feisty thing…I wonder what your little lover boy sees in you?" Myrna casually rolled her eyes.

Sam completely stiffened up at Myrna's comment, her breath caught in her throat. _She couldn't know…could she? _

"I don't know what you're talking about." The redhead spy muttered. _We've been very careful. She couldn't know…_

Myrna turned her head sharply towards Sam, stalking purposefully to the jail cell bars so that she was nose to nose with Sam. "I'm talking about you and your little **reformed **lover." She said the word with spite. "I wonder how Jerry would take the news if he found out…."

"You stay away from him." Sam all but snarled, her hands gripping the bars so tight her knuckles were turning white.

Myrna laughed. "Didn't have too. I merely put out the bait sunshine. The fish has already been hooked." Sam gasped, as beads of cold sweat pricked her skin.

"Which brings me to why I'm here… Del, hook it up." It was only then Sam realised that Del was holding a device in his hand. Wordlessly, the man attached the device on the wall directly in front of Sam's jail cell. With a start, the superspy realised that it was a video recording device.

"Just in case your lover boy needs some sort of…motivation to corporate." Myrna smirked. She held up her mobile phone, which had been synced with the camera. Sam could see herself clearly on Myrna's mobile phone. Understanding suddenly dawned on the superspy.

Myrna was going to use her as a leverage to get Tim to do something for her…Maybe betray W.O.O.H.P or something. Sam shivered at the thought.

"Dream on. He'll never corporate with you." She spat, letting her anger conceal the traces of fear in her eyes and the butterflies in her stomach.

"You'll never know sunshine… Desperate people do end up doing desperate things." A chuckle came from Myrna. "Ah, the things people can do for love…" She casted a final lingering glance at Sam.

"Sit tight sunshine. I'll be back with the good news later." With a final cackle, Myrna walked away, with her two bodyguards in tow.

Frustrated, Sam banged her fists against the grills. "Come back here Myrna! He'll never scoop so low to betray W.O.O.H.P. NEVER!" Sam shouted at their retreating backs.

Only when their footsteps died away did Sam let her fears take over. Her head in her hands, she slumped to the ground.

Someone knew. Of the relationship between her and him. Her, one of W.O.O.H.P's superspies, and him, former evil criminal turned reformed man.

And Myrna were going to use her kidnapping, and maybe even the fact that she knew of their secret relationship, to get Tim to do her bidding.

_Tim please…Don't do anything rash. _She prayed.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**7.30pm, Spies Villa. **

Dinner had been a quiet and tensed affair. Alex and Clover were both lost in their own thoughts, reeling in the aftermath of knowing of Sam's kidnapping. Each hoped that their friend was alive and well.

After dinner, the first thing both superspies did was to check all the doors and windows in the house. They couldn't take any chances, not after what happened the night before. Clover watched closely as Alex activated their alarm system. With the knowledge that they will be alerted of any intruders, Clover half-heartedly took out her notes to study. She didn't think she would be able to focus, but she also knew that she had to, despite the circumstances.

"Holler if you need help yeah? I'll just be in the living room." Clover told her friend with a weak smile.

Alex nodded, picking up the Evidence Sweeper Analyzer and headed to Sam's room. On precaution, she kept the door half open.

Turning the light on, a wave of emotions hit Alex as she surveyed the place. Their worst fears had came true; Sam's room was officially a crime scene. The athletic superspy suddenly realised with a start that her hand was shaking slightly.

_Focus Alex. Now's not the time to panic or wallow in your emotions. Sam is counting on you. _Taking a deep breath, Alex got to work.

It wasn't too hard to figure out just how the gadget worked; it was truly similar to a metal detector. Alex switched the device on and started by sweeping the gadget back and forth near Sam's room door. Nothing.

Alex then walked closer to Sam's messy bed. The bedspreads had been left unmade. She went round the perimeter of the bed first, starting from the head. When she reached the foot of the bed, the sensor beeped. The screen showed an object had been detected. _A small object, from the looks of it. _Alex slipped on a pair of latex gloves and squatted down.

_Is that…a stopper?_ Alex had picked up a small red object that was almost camouflaged against the maroon carpet. She took a closer look. _Kind of resembles one… that protect a needle? _

Alex deposited the stopper in the right slot of the ESA. The machine whirled to life. After a few minutes, a message flashed on the screen.

Possible DNA Samples detected.

Alex grinned, one of the first real smiles she had all day. Bingo. She sent the preliminary report to Jerry, and carefully bagged the stopper. Hopefully it'll yield something.

* * *

**7:45pm, W.O.O.H.P HQ**

_Today felt like the longest day ever_. Jerry sighed, finally shutting down his computer. The head of W.O.O.H.P stretched to rid himself of the kinks that had built up in his neck. He was beyond weary, both physically and mentally.

Sam's kidnapping had been a shocker. Never once in many years did Jerry ever think that someone would resort to using one of his superspies as leverage. The kidnappers were certainly bold indeed. _Who would do such a thing? _Jerry didn't have an answer.

He could only think of a few people that had the brains and brawn to pull off such a stunt. However, all of them were currently locked tight in W.O.O.H.P's high prison security jail (he made sure of it, afterall one of the suspects was his own brother Terrence Lewis).

He had put out a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) notice in the neighbouring cities for the blue sedan that had been used to kidnap Sam. Hopefully, the authorities in those cities would bring good news soon. There was no way Jerry was going to blindly hand three high sonic ray guns over. Yet, he wasn't going to lose one of his superspies over this either.

Jerry sighed once more, standing up. He needed to pay a visit to the Simpsons before heading home. Thankfully, the Simpson's suburban home wasn't too far away. It was only right to keep Sam's parents abreast with what was going on.

He was about to leave the office when his phone rang. It was Tim.

"Hello Tim." Jerry answered the call.

"Hi Jerry. I'm just checking in again." Came the voice of the man in the W.O.O.H.P Reformatory Program.

"You know you don't have to check in every," Jerry checked his watch. "four hours right? Didn't you just call at 4pm?"

There was a short chortle of laughter on the other end of the line. "I know Jer. But I said I'll check in three times a day, didn't I? I'm not about to break my promise."

"I trust you Tim." Jerry stated simply. "You have really proved myself these eight months. I want to show you that I have faith in you, despite what you might have done in the past."

"Regardless, thank you for approving of my leave. It's good to catch up with Aunt Lorraine and Suz. I'll be staying with Aunt Lorraine for the night. By the way, I just realised that tomorrow is the last Wednesday of the month. Is there a mandatory check in meeting tomorrow night for the program? If there is, I can head back first thing tomorrow morning."

"Spend the day with your family tomorrow Tim. No rush. Besides, the meeting is cancelled- Sam's been called away on some family matters. It'll be postponed till further notice." The white lie floated through his lips easily. As much as he trusted Tim, Jerry felt that the fewer people that knew about what was going on, the better.

There was silence on Tim's end for a moment.

"Roger that. Thanks Jer. I'll check in with you again tomorrow. Have an early night." His voice sounded slightly distant.

"You to Tim. Thanks for checking in." Jerry cut the call. Straightening his wrinkled clothing as best as he could, Jerry exited W.O.O.H.P for the night. He had a visit to make to the Simpson's home.

* * *

**And now the plot thickens! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I'm happy to hear that you guys are enjoying the story; I'm certainly having fun writing it! **

**Any thoughts about the plot so far? The encounter between Tim and Myrna comes next chapter. **

**Until next week! **

**TrixieNancy**


	4. Chapter 4

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 4

* * *

**8.45pm, Simpson's household, Los Angeles.**

"Hello Jerry, come on in." Jerry had called the Simpsons' beforehand, so they were expecting him. The one who had opened the door was Gabriella Simpson, Sam's mother. Even up to today, Jerry was struck by the close physical resemblance between mother and daughter. Apart from the hair colour and certain variations in facial features, Sam was practically a carbon copy of her mother.

"Thanks Gabriella. It's nice to see you again. I just wished it was under more pleasant circumstances." He had been in constant contact with the girls' mothers ever since they discovered (then denied, but ultimately accepted) their daughters' spy identities. The spies' mothers would check in with Jerry occasionally about how their daughters were doing (both school and spy work wise).

The last time he had seen Sam's mother was almost three years ago, during the girls' high school graduation. Other contacts had been made via text or phone calls. Gabriella Simpson looked the same, but there was a prominent worry line on her forehead. Jerry didn't have to guess to know why it was there.

"Is that Jerry hun?" At that moment, Jerry heard a male voice coming from the hallway.

"Yes it is." Gabriella Simpson responded, taking Jerry's jacket and hanging it up.

A tall, redhead man walked down the stairs and greeted Jerry. "I'm Thomas Simpson."

Jerry shook the man's outstretch hand. "Jerry Lewis."

"It's nice to finally meet you Jerry. I've heard much about you, both from my wife and daughter." Thomas Simpson replied, sending an easy smile in Jerry's direction.

Jerry could feel the tension and worry radiating off the Simpsons. He was certain that Gabriella Simpson had filled her husband on the events of this morning. He hadn't updated the couple on the latest turn of events over the phone, only hinted that something was wrong and he wanted to pay them a visit.

"Let's adjourn to the dining room. We can talk there." Thomas Simpson suggested.

"That would be good. Would you like a drink, Jerry? Tea? Coffee? Or something stronger?" Gabriella Simpson asked.

"Tea would be great thank you." Jerry smiled weakly.

A drink would certainly help calm his nerves, especially since he was the bearer of bad news.

* * *

**9.15pm, Aunt Lorraine's home, San Diego**

Sometime later, Tim emerged from the guest room at his Aunt's home, dressed in full black (with the exception of his trench coat.). He ambled around and found his Aunt sitting in the den, watching old CSI re-runs. His cousin Susanne and her husband had already returned home for the night.

Tim took a moment to just look at his aunt. He really owed his life to this woman who raised him. With a head of greying hair, his aunt was almost 70 years old. Her sea-foamed eyes mirrored those of his father, and also his own. Aunt Lorraine was short, about a head and half shorter than Tim himself, and had generally been physically well. A mini stroke that had happened two weeks back had given her and her family quite a scare and was the catalyst for Susanne to get in touch with her estranged cousin.

"There you are. Come, sit." Aunt Lorraine noticed her nephew and gestured for the man to take a sit next to her. Tim didn't even hesitate, crossing the den in a few strides.

Two pairs of matching sea foamed eyes met. "Thank you for coming down today Timothy." A tired smile came onto his aunt's face.

"It's always a pleasure aunt Lorraine. Thank you for letting me stay the night." He replied easily,

"Are you going out?" She glanced pointedly at his outfit, complete all the way to the trench coat. Tim answered her question with a nod.

"Yeah. Since I'm down here, I thought I'll meet some old friends for some drinks. Don't wait up for me Aunt Lorraine, I'll be out late."

Aunt Lorraine smiled and patted Tim's hand. "Alright. Be careful."

Tim sent a fond smile in his Aunt's direction. "I will."

In no time at all, Tim was driving towards the address he was given. His stomach was in knots and his heart was thumping so wildly against his ribcage it was driving him crazy. Tim really didn't know what to expect. But he certainly wasn't jumping into things unprepared. He had a couple of gadgets that concealed on his person. And his W.O.O.H.P issued phone was in his coat pocket, with the GPS turned on.

Should anything happen to him, hopefully W.O.O.H.P will be able to trace his location.

_This is it. _The GPS in the car indicated that they had arrived at their destination. It was ten minutes before the stipulated meeting time. Tim took a good look at his surroundings. The abandon warehouse was right ahead, foreboding against a cloudy dark sky. There was no one around, and not another single vehicle in sight. Tim parked his car and got out, allowing the cool autumn air to hit him.

With one hand grasping a torchlight, Tim stealthily approached the building. A metal door had been left half open, presumably for him. He entered the door.

Inside, all was silent. Tim could hear nothing apart from his own breathing. From what Tim could make out from the light of his torch, he was on one end of the large, two storey warehouse.

"Hello?" He called out tentatively. There was nothing for a couple of seconds, then a voice spoke.

"Scam, right on time I see." Tim couldn't believe the voice he was hearing. He had recognised the owner of the voice immediately. It hadn't been too hard, considering how there was a period in his life when he heard the same annoying voice day in and day out. Tim turned around, flashing his torchlight at the direction of the sound.

Just as he predicted, lo and behold, it was Myrna Beesbottom. One of the ex-members of the LAMOS. A past, that he didn't want to remember. She was on the second floor balcony, grinning down at him.

"Myrna." He addressed with a curt nod.

At his words, there was a simultaneous loud bang, and the faint moonlight and breeze from the outside was cut off. Tim looked to see that a man, decked in full black, had closed the door that he came in from. Seconds later, the lights in the building hummed to life.

Tim's hands clenched into a fist when he noticed that the man that had closed the door was silently circling behind him. He was stocky, with a head of black hair.

"Tim Scam…you've been busy since the last time we've met I see." Myrna spoke, moving from her position on the second floor to start descending down the stairs. At that moment, Tim noticed another man with honey coloured hair standing on guard near the base of the stairs. _It's at least three against one._

Myrna finally reached the ground floor, and stalked over with an evil grin. "Let's see now, what have you been up to?" She started to tick of items using her fingers. "Joined W.O.O.H.P's reformatory program, turning your back on the LAMOS…Oh and falling for that darling of a redhead superspy."

Without warning, Tim had lunged towards Myrna, his anger fuelled by the sarcastic and nonchalant tone that Myrna had adopted while talking about Sam.

His Sam.

His fists had curled into a punch as he threw a punch in Myrna's direction. The heavy-set woman easily sidestepped his attack. Growling, Tim swung a punch again. Myrna blocked it swiftly, her reflexes still as fast as ever.

Tim sensed a movement to his left and turned just in time to duck a high kick that had been aimed at him by one of Myrna's accomplishes. Not a second later, a strong blow was delivered to his side, by the stockier man. Tim could not dodge both attacks at once and was throw to the ground from the attack.

While Tim was quick to recover, Myrna's accomplices were faster. The stockier man placed the weight of his foot on Tim's back, preventing him from getting up. The man with the honey coloured hair had restrained his upper body before he could blink. Dimly, he registered a pair of handcuffs slapped onto his hands (that were pinned around his back).

"What have you done to her? If you've hurt her, you're dead Myrna." Tim said as he struggled against the hold of the two men. He was pushed to a kneeling position in front of Myrna. Both of her guards kept a firm hand on Tim's shoulders, preventing him from getting up.

"Hurt her? Oh, I'll never hurt your precious sunshine my dear Tim. She's perfectly fine. A little feisty, but she's fine."

"Why do I not believe you?" Tim shot back. He tested the strength of the restrains on his hands. They were solid, tight handcuffs.

"I thought you would say that." Myrna fished out her mobile phone from her pocket. "Why don't you take a look yourself?" She pressed a few buttons, and showed the screen to Tim.

Tim tried to concealed the emotions he knew were on display as he took in what was on the screen. From what he could see, it was a real-time camera, showing Sam in what appeared to be a jail cell. She was pacing up and down, occasionally stopping to think for a bit, before shaking her head and resuming her pacing. Tim couldn't see her face clearly due to how far the camera was, but true to what Myrna claimed, Sam looked visibly well. No physical injuries as far as he could tell. However, she was only clad in pajamas, and the cell was nearly bare.

_She must be freezing._ Autumn nights could get brutal.

"What do you want?" After a long moment, Tim raised his head to look at Myrna squarely in the eye. Myrna took much effort to lure him to San Diego. Tim refused to believe that she did it merely for fun.

"I thought you'll never ask. I want the blueprint plans. For the Evapoblaster."

"What for?"

Myrna cackled. "Are you really asking me that? Use your imagination." When Tim did not reply, Myrna held up two fingers. "Two days, to get me the plans. Deal, or no deal?"

Tim scoffed. "You're asking me to betray W.O.O.H.P? Forget it." The Evapoblaster was his best invention to date, and he had nearly managed to evaporate all of Earth's oceans with it. He had surrendered the blueprints to W.O.O.H.P once he committed himself to change for the better. Pigs would fly before he would betray the trust that Jerry, the W.O.O.H.P agents in the reformatory program and also his Sam had for him.

"Why not? You've done it before, I'm sure you'll do it again, with the right…motivation." Myrna smirked as Tim's expression darkened at her insinuation.

"I won't scoop so low Myrna. Not anymore. But if you so much as lay a finger on Sam, I'll find you and tear you apart limb from limb." He gritted his teeth as he tried to control his anger. Damn these handcuffs were tight. He could barely get the hairpin lockpick out of his sleeve.

"Are you sure you won't change your mind Tim? Final chance." Myrna taunted. Tim remained stubbornly silent. _There has to be another way. Damn I should have at least told Jerry about this. _

Myrna stared at Tim for a full minute before shaking her head.

"I underestimated your will Scam. Well, looks like I'll just have to get it from Jerry then. I'm sure that old coot's will relent somewhat if I have the BOTH of you as leverage."

"Jerry will NEVER give in to your demands." Tim said with determination.

Myrna let out a short laugh. "That old coot has a heart of sponge. I don't believe he would just sit tight and risk the lives of his agents." She gestured to the two guards behind Tim. "Knock him out."

"What-" Before Tim could get a word in, he felt a strong blow to the side of his head, and everything went black.

* * *

**12am, Unknown Location **

Sam had been pacing back and forth her cell ever since Myrna had left hours ago, too worried to rest. Her mind churned endless scenarios, of things that could go wrong during Tim's meeting with Myrna. Her ex-nanny could be ruthless if she wanted to.

She hoped and prayed with all her heart that Myrna had not hurt Tim in any way.

_I'll hunt her down if she does. _She thought to herself, determined.

A shiver went down Sam's spine as she rubbed her hands on her arms. The autumn night was cold; she could feel a chilly breeze coming in from the small window. Sam was only clad in woollen pyjamas, barely enough to keep her body warm. _Figures that Myrna would leave out a small detail like some blankets… _That was another reason why she had to keep moving around.

Sam had also utilised the hours she had to try and think of an escape plan. The cell she was in literally clean, and her earlier search had yielded nothing useful to pick the lock. Her best bet would be to feign injury, to get one of the guards to open her jail cell on the pretext of helping her. Maybe break the ceramic bowl and get a cut on that or something. She'll just have to be swift in her escape after that.

_Del's definitely the more compassionate one out of the two. It'll have to be when he is the one on guard. _The superspy decided.

She was cut out of her musings when she heard the door at the end of the hallway open. Sam stilled, listening to the sounds.

She could pick up three sets of footsteps. And another sound that she couldn't really identify. Something like a constant scraping sound?

The superspy walked to the bars of the cell, and her heart nearly stopped.

"Tim!" She cried, her emerald eyes wide with concern. Tim was unconscious, held between the two men that were her guards. His dark boots were the ones that scraped against the floor as he was dragged along. Myrna walked in front of the trio.

"Tim!" Sam shouted once more, now desperate. It made her heart ache to see her normally strong Tim unconscious, and being dragged around like a rag doll. She turned to Myrna. "What have you done to him?"

"Oh nothing much." Myrna dismissed her comment as if it was nothing. "Just gave him a jab and a blow to the head, that's all." Myrna took out a key from her pocket and unlocked the doors of Sam's cell. She knew that Sam wouldn't even risk escaping with her beau's life at stake as well. The cell opened, Myrna stepped aside to give space for her two henchmen.

"Tim!" Sam barely managed to support Tim's full weight on her body as Del and the other man deposited him in the cell. As carefully as she could muster, Sam lowered Tim down so that he was sitting down against one of the walls. Myrna had also carelessly tossed a small key in her direction, which Sam quickly used to unlock the handcuffs that held Tim's hands together. When she was done, Sam tenderly brushed aside some loose strands of his brown hair before turning to give a glare at the people responsible for his current state.

The stockier man was double checking the wiring of the video recorder. After receiving a confirmation from her henchman the video recorder was working well, Myrna nodded. With the video recorder serving as a CCTV, Myrna was confident that they wouldn't be able to escape even if they found a way. She'll make sure of it. Besides, the villain had taken care to make sure all the gadgets Tim was carrying had been taken away. Including those concealed in the secret pockets of his trench coat. _And that man thought no one knew about those secret pockets. _Myrna rolled her eyes.

Myrna then stalked into the cell and took the handcuffs and also the key away. _Don't want them to have any ideas. _

Throwing a last smirk in Sam's direction, Myrna stalked away, with her stockier henchman right on her tail.

That left only Del.

Del didn't say a word, only set a bottle of water and some extra food in the corner of the cell. Sam only eyed the man coldly as he did this, never once leaving Tim's side. As Del was locking up, he appeared to hesitate for a bit.

"He was jabbed the same substance given to you. He'll be awake in an hour or so, don't worry." The man said quietly. When he didn't receive any response from the superspy, Del sighed, tested the lock to make sure it was secure, before he walked away.

Sam closed her eyes to calm herself down. She mentally counted to ten before opening her eyes again. Pushing aside her frustrations and anger for now, Sam took a good look at her beau. Tim always put on a strong façade, sometimes even in front of her. It was rare to be able to see the vulnerable side of him. Even if this came with a price of him being locked in with her.

The superspy adjusted herself so that she was comfortably sitting up against the wall. She then carefully lowered Tim's body so that his head was lying on her lap. His trench coat draped to cover his upper torso, Sam took his warm hands into her cold ones, and sighed. They were so screwed.

Her relationship with Tim was a complicated one. There was always a mutual attraction between them, that had blossomed from their first meeting when he had been 'Mac Smit'. Try as she might, despite discovering he was a criminal, Sam still found herself drawn towards him. Many mixed signals had been dropped when they crossed paths as a W.O.O.H.P agent and a master criminal, but they finally acted on their mutual attraction.

They kept things a secret at first, even from her friends. For Sam's job as a W.O.O.H.P superspy would definitely be at stake if someone knew that she was involved with a master criminal.

It was three months later that Jerry announced that he was intending to start a new W.O.O.H.P Reformatory Program, intended for criminals that were serious in repenting and turning over a new leaf. He had kept the pilot program rather hush-hush, wary of the backlash it might cause. Sam had been one of the few agents sworn to secrecy to assist in the program.

Tim had needed no convincing when he was first told about it as per Sam's suggestion to Jerry. He had finally thought things through, and he wanted to change for good. Now, eight months later, he was the most promising one in the Reformatory Program, and their (secret) relationship was still going strong.

_How did Myrna know? We were so careful! _Indeed, they had been. Under the reformatory program, Tim had been spending hours each day at the weapon creations lab, where he would try to improve existing gadgets. As a field agents, their paths had hardly crossed at all! And they were always wary whenever they saw each other, stealing the quickest of kisses and brushes of hands.

Absentmindedly, Sam traced a finger across Tim's face, committing the features to memory. From the contours of his face, to his well-defined chin, his nose and those lips that she was dying to taste. Remembering that Myrna mentioned that Tim had taken a blow to the head, Sam carefully parted his hair to check for the presence of a wound. She found it, on his left side. Thankfully though, it didn't look too bad.

She wished that Tim would wake up soon. Although Del's words had taken some of the edginess she felt, she wanted to see and hear for herself that her Tim was okay. And hopefully, Tim could help fill in the many extra blanks that had popped up.

_Why is Tim here? Is he supposed to be a leverage for ME to cooperate with her, or vice versa? What did Myrna want from Tim? _

Then there was the issue of escape. She had checked Tim's trench coat in hopes that there might be a gadget or two; but came up empty. Tim wouldn't have jumped into a meeting like that without any gadgets, so Myrna must have done a very through search. The video recorder aimed directly at them was another hinderance. Hopefully, Tim would have better plan.

_What is Myrna going to do now…Now that Tim's in captivity with me? Is she going to target W.O.O.H.P? What does she want exactly?_

With all those questions swimming in her mind, Sam fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

**A/N: A big thank you to all my reviewers :) I'm always happy to hear from you guys about what yall think about the story. **

**Until the next update! **

**-TrixieNancy**


	5. Chapter 5

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 5

* * *

**12.30am, Jerry's home. **

Jerry found himself unable to sleep, his brain on overdrive. Sam's kidnapping and the moral dilemma he was currently facing was really eating him alive. Especially after the talk he had with Thomas and Gabriella Simpson.

Every time he closed his eyes, he would see Gabriella's eyes, of the same shade of emerald as Sam's, begging him to bring their only daughter home safely. The Simpsons were placing all their hope and trust in him.

But as the head of W.O.O.H.P, he had a duty to the world as well. Work kept his mind busy during the day from the pessimistic thoughts. Now, lying in bed, Jerry found himself coming to terms with the reality of the situation. He knew that if they were not able to find and rescue Sam before the next contact for the ray guns were made, they might have to sacrifice Sam. For the greater good.

_I'll be damned if I let that happen. We have to find her. We have to. _His conscience screamed at him. Jerry sighed, and shifted in his bed.

At that moment, the sound of a chime came from Jerry's bedside table. His brows furrowing, Jerry eased himself up into a siting position. Few people knew that apart from his spy phone (that also served as his regular mobile), Jerry had another phone with a separate phone number. This separate number had an untraceable tag placed on it by the government and was strictly for professional usage only. He picked up this second phone.

There was one new message, the number of the sender blocked.

**She protects the world and so will I. Don't give in just yet, they will be safe.**

Jerry read the message twice, committing the words to memory.

He had no doubt that this person was talking about Sam. Very few people had knowledge of his second phone, and even fewer people had the number of said device. The timing and contents of the message was too accurate to be coincidental. Although the message had been brief; it had rejuvenated him with some hope.

Wherever Sam was now, looks like there was someone on their side with her. However, as Jerry re-read the message, a nagging thought jumped out at him.

_What did the person meant by 'they'?_

* * *

**2.00am, Unknown Location **

There was a dull ache at the side of his head. That was the first thing that Tim had noted when he regained some sort of consciousness. His mind then registered that he was lying down on something cold and hard, which wasn't very comfortable for his bottom. Yet, Tim's could feel that his head was resting on something firm and warm. There was a steady warmth that enveloped his hands as well.

_What happened? The last thing I remember was…Myrna…Ugh…They must have knocked me out. _

Slowly, Tim opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the dim lighting. Immediately, Tim saw Sam's peaceful face as she slept, her head leaning against the wall. His sea-foamed eyes softened. It was then realised that his head was cradled in her lap, and her hands intertwined with his.

Tim groaned slightly as he shifted his body to a more comfortable position. He was careful not to wake Sam up, for the bags under her eyes indicated that she hadn't managed to get much sleep since her abduction. She didn't as much stir as he settled his head back on her lap again.

Tim let his eyes roam around the cell that he and Sam were currently in, recognising it as the same one from the video surveillance Myrna had shown him. Now, looking at it from up close, he could see that there was a small window near the top of the wall directly opposite the one Sam was leaning against. In that corner was a toilet. And close to the cell doors were a couple of bottles of mineral water, a ceramic bowl, and some bread.

_Water sounds appealing right now._ Tim's throat felt parched. He glanced up at Sam, who's breathing was still slow and even. Reluctantly, Tim slowly disentangled his hands from hers and attempted to sit up.

This time however, his movement stirred Sam awake. She made a small noise and started to move around. It wasn't long before Tim was staring into the pair of emerald orbs that he loved.

"Sorry…" Tim's voice sounded hoarse. He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You're awake!" Memories of what had happened a few hours ago flooded back into Sam, and she immediately went into protective mode. "You took a pretty bad bump to the head."

"Yeah I noticed." Tim's hand was cradling the side of his head, which was still throbbing.

Sam helped him into a sitting position, draping his trench coat over his torso once more. "Do you need anything?"

"Water would be good."

Without another word, Sam walked over to the corner where the food and water had been placed and picked up one of the bottles of water.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you or anything?" Once Tim's thirst had been satisfied, he asked her. No physical injuries as far as he could tell, but he wanted to make sure.

Sam smiled at his obvious concern and shook her head. "I'm fine. They didn't hurt me. Myrna's just been playing mind games and taunting me everytime she comes...I'm mostly left alone, with a bodyguard. Del's been constantly bringing me food and water, so I've been eating fine. Can't say the same about the sleeping though." A small smile graced her features. As if to prove her point, a small yawn escaped her lips.

Tim surprised her by pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm glad you're okay. I was worried…" He didn't have complete his sentence. She understood. Another reason why the two of them were perfect for each other.

"I'm glad you're okay too Tim. Even if you ARE stuck in here with me…" She returned the hug with equal fervour.

"Wait, who's Del?" His mind finally caught up with exactly what his girlfriend had said. On hearing her speak so candidly about another man, a surge of suspicion and jealousy welled up in Tim.

Sam pulled away and stared at him for a good ten seconds. Realising that he was being serious, she rolled her eyes.

"Now's not the time for this Tim…Del's just an acquaintance at best, no more than that. We need to focus... Why did they bring you here?" Sam elaborated on what Myrna had implied before she had left to meet with Tim.

Tim quickly gave Sam the abridged version of the events that took place since he received the creepy text message, all the way to Myrna's demand for the plans of the Evapoblaster.

"What does Myrna want with the Evapoblaster?"

"I don't know for sure. But she did hint that she's intending to get it from Jerry now…And maybe some other things as well…"

"I'm just worried…I trust Jerry and all, but you know his personality…" Sam sighed. She knew without a doubt that Jerry wouldn't give up the blueprints to something as deadly as the Evapoblaster. But he might end up compromising for the sake of his agents. And Sam could think of a million and one things that Myrna might want to ask for.

"We need to get out and get to him before Myrna does…What time do you think it is?"

"Definitely early in the morning, judging by the temperature and the lack of light…Myrna and her goons retired for the night. I think all we need to get past is the security camera and the jail cell door…" Sam groaned. "Do you have any gadgets with you?"

Tim quickly patted his pockets, checking each place that he had hidden a gadget in. However, his search came up empty handed.

"They even checked my shoe! I mean who does that?" Tim complained as he took his shoe off. He had stored a hairpin lockpick in it, confident that it wouldn't be found. Myrna had the advantage of knowing him and his cautious nature all too well. And she had been very though with her search. A shudder went down his spine.

"Now what?" Sam sighed, slumping down on the floor. "I've searched every inch of the cell and come up with nothing to help pick the lock."

"Have you tried breaking it down?" Tim stood, as he prepared to aim a kick at the door.

Sam nodded. "One of the first things I tried. The steel bars are hinged tight. Hopefully, you'll might have better luck then I do…"

The sound of the rattling of bars echoed down the hallways, but the steel gate didn't budge. After a few tries, Tim let out a sigh in frustration. "It's no use." He bend down to examine the lock. "We have to either pick the lock or think of another plan."

"Well…I might have thought of something…" Sam spoke up. "But it's kinda iffy…"

"Darling, I'll take iffy over nothing."

* * *

**7.30 am, Unknown Location. **

After intensive discussion and deliberation, Tim and Sam had finally settled on a rough plan. The next time someone tried to open their cell door, they would attack. It was almost 3.30am when they settled to rest, sitting up against the wall. Sam's head was on Tim's shoulder, and his arm wrapped protectively around her side, resting against her petite waist. Tim's beige trench coat was draped over them both for warmth.

Tim woke up to the sound of a metal door opening and closing. Many years of spy work and then subsequently being on the run meant that he was a light sleeper. Sam stirred as well, immediately tensing when she heard footsteps. The couple blinked the sleepiness from their eyes.

_What time is it? It couldn't be later than 8…_Tim thought, glancing at the window where some some light was coming through. He helped Sam up to her feet, as they waited to see who it was.

Del stopped in front of the cell, carrying some water bottles, a cloth, and what appeared to be takeout. The sandy haired man noted the two pairs of eyes watching him wary. However, he didn't say a word, merely gestured at the items he had in his hands. He fished out the key to the cell door.

Tim and Sam shared a look, each silently asking the other when they would put their plan into action. Sam casted another doubtful glance at Del. That man was hard to read. He certainly had a caring side that only came out when Myrna and the other henchman wasn't around. And when they were, he never played mind games like what Myrna did. Sam didn't want to hurt him, as much as it pained her to admit.

Tim cocked his head at her, waiting for a response. Sam closed her eyes for a moment before sending an almost unperceivable nod at Tim.

What she believed or not, they had to escape and contact Jerry ASAP. That was the priority now.

The couple watched with bated breath as Del unlocked the cell door, just large enough for him to slip the items in. Quick as a wink, Tim sprung into action. His arm was blocking the cell door before Del could close it fully.

"I don't think so bud." Tim eyed Del in challenge. Sam stood next to him, poised and ready for action. Del's expression harden as he used his strength to try and close the cell door. Tim only resisted.

It was a battle of brute strength. For just a moment. Del's eyes had darted towards the security camera behind him. Tim took the split second distraction to fight back, and the metal door pushed open. Tim took a couple of steps forward, completely out of the cell into the corridor.

Del immediately took on a fighting stance, deftly blocking the kick that Tim aimed towards his face. He fought back.

Both men successfully managed to deliver a couple of blows to their opponents, with Del finally managing to land a kick at Tim which sent him reeling, his back hitting the metal gate.

While Tim kept Del busy, Sam launched her attack. She charged on, holding the ceramic bowl in her hand. In one swift move, Sam jumped and aim the ceramic bowl directly at Del's head.

Del's eyes widened as his arm instinctively reached out to block his skull. The ceramic bowl shattered against Del's covered arm, shards raining down on the ground. It was as if the noise shook Del out of his stupor. His arm grabbed Sam's, and he immediately twisted them behind her. Sam only barely managed to avoid stepping on the shards that were on the ground, aware that she was barefooted. A moment later, she found herself handcuffed.

"Let me go!" She squirmed.

"We don't have much time." Del spoke in a harsh whisper. "Myrna's up early, she might have seen the CCTV footage."

Tim was poised and ready to attack, murder in his eyes. "Let her. By the time she comes we won't be here any longer."

Del paid no attention to Tim, instead faced Sam, who was still struggling in his hold.

"Listen to me." He finally said. "The owl flies in the moonlight."

Something akin to shock came upon Sam and Tim's face. Sam stared in confusion at Del for a moment before replying, "And the bluebird sings its' song." Del nodded, his eyes encouraging her to go on.

"The fox scampers across the river by day" Her voice had dropped to a whisper, but she was still eying Del with suspicion.

"And he howls to the tune of the hummingbird's hum." Del finished.

Sam completely slacked in Del's hold, comprehension dawning. _That's why he's been so nice to me, that's why he's been encouraging me to eat, and telling me not to worry…_

Tim lowered his fighting stance. The moment that Del had opened his mouth and said the phrase, he already had his suspicions. But the look in Sam's eyes when Del completed the last line of the cryptic phrase confirmed everything.

"You're a W.O.O.H.P agent." Sam finally voiced what was on her mind.

* * *

**8.30am, W.O.O.H.P HQ**

Jerry reached the W.O.O.H.P building feeling somewhat well rested. He greeted the agents that passed with a quick nod, his mind otherwise occupied.

Just ten minutes ago, he had received a call from the San Diego Police Department. The blue sedan that had kidnapped Sam had been found abandoned near a forested area. Coincidentally, this sedan had also been reported stolen in another part of San Diego as well. Jerry had asked that the Police Department tow the vehicle to their Police Department HQ. He would send Clover and Alex to take a look at it later, after Clover was finished with her final exam.

_Wait, isn't Tim in San Diego as well? _Coincidence? Could be, but Jerry didn't think so. He had always felt that there was something going on between his best spy and his now best reformed agent. Jerry could never put his finger on what it was, but his hunches were rarely off. There was something, a sizzling connection perhaps, between those two.

The puzzling text message he had received early that morning came into mind suddenly. It was as if the pieces of a puzzle were slowly piecing together in front of his eyes.

As he walked into his office, Jerry made a call to Tim's mobile, hoping to get some answers. But the call went straight to voice mail.

The feeling of worry that currently resided in the pit of his stomach only grew bigger. _He could be asleep. _Jerry reasoned with himself._ No sense getting worried over what could be nothing…yet. _

Jerry cut the call and switched on his computer. Pondering upon what to do next, he checked the time. He should be able to catch Clover and Alex before the former's exam started at 9.30am.

In no time at all, Jerry had both Clover and Alex speaking with him through their X-Powders. Both of his superspies looked as if they didn't get much sleep.

"Hi Jerry. Any news?" Alex said as a form of greeting.

"As a matter of fact yes. The blue sedan was stolen, and now abandoned in San Diego. I've gotten the SDPD to tow it to a secure location, will send you girls over to take a look for clues once you've ended your last exam today Clover."

"Alright Jer. What about the DNA from the stopper that Alex sent over last evening Jer? Any luck?"

"So far no. Those are some degenerated DNA samples. We'll see what we can do on this end."

"Is there anything I can do in the meantime Jer?" Alex pipped up.

Jerry raked his fingers through his hair as he thought. "Do you have any plans for this morning Alex?" The superspy shook her head no.

"Then I'll like you to take an inventory stock of what extra gadgets you girls have. I intend to supplement whatever you girls don't have, for emergency purposes." Just in case whoever had kidnapped Sam had their eyes on his other superspies as well (although he doubt it).

When all this is over, he was going to push for a standard gadget pack to be distributed to every W.O.O.H.P agent, field spy or not. A repeat of such an incident cannot happen.

"I'm on it, Jer. I'll send you the list once I'm done." Alex's mind was already churning a mental list of where some of the gadgets may be. After so many years of being W.O.O.H.P agents, gadgets would be littered throughout their villa. There was a sonic boom box a top her wardrobe. And she remembered Clover having a Parasol Crossbow somewhere in her room.

"I'll check in again with you girls later. All the best for your exam Clover." Jerry said.

"Thanks Jer." Clover smiled, although the smile didn't reach her eyes like they normally did.

As Jerry ended the call, there was a knock on the glass door. Jerry motioned for the W.O.O.H.P agent outside to come in.

"Boss…We got another one." A well-built man with ebony hair handed Jerry a bulky looking envelope that was already sealed in an evidence bag.

"Jill brought it in today. But I recognised the block lettering from yesterday's note." The man reported. "We didn't open it. Just sealed it up in the evidence bag and brought it over to you. Same delivery method, although this time two blocks away from W.O.O.H.P, at the park."

Jerry sighed, his lips pressed in a thin line. "Alright. Thank you, Matt, I'm sure I don't have to stress the discretion you two need to take regarding this."

"We got it Jerry. Let us know if you need any help." The agent named Matt replied.

Once Matt had left the room, Jerry slipped on a pair of latex gloves, and removed the envelope from the evidence bag. Carefully, Jerry opened the envelope.

Out slipped out a photograph, a piece of paper, and what appeared to be a mobile phone.

Jerry picked up the photograph first, his hands shaking. Judging by the timestamp at the bottom corner, this looked to be something taken directly from a CCTV footage. Jerry could see Sam and Tim clearly, with the latter's head lying on the former's lap, in what looked like a jail cell. Both appeared to be unconscious (or maybe just asleep). Sam was dressed in what looked like pajamas, while Tim had his trench coat draped over him.

Many unanswered questions swam through Jerry's mind. _Why was Tim there? How did he know where to find Sam? Did they lure him there? Or was he part of the scheme? _The last question was one that Jerry didn't want to find the answer to.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, Jerry then unfolded the piece of paper. The note was short and to the point.

**For the safe release of both, prepare the blueprint plans for the Evapoblaster, and the three sonic ray guns. You have 24 hours. **

**I'll be in contact. **

Jerry glanced at the mobile phone that was lying on his desk. It didn't look familiar, so he summarized that it must be a burner.

_That's probably why they lured Tim…_Jerry thought. The Evapoblaster was Tim's creation, but he had surrendered the plans to W.O.O.H.P sometime ago. _He probably denied their request, that's why they are using him as leverage too…_

Wasting no time, Jerry picked up his office phone and called Matt. Matt was one of the agents also involved in the W.O.O.H.P Reformatory Program, so he knew about Tim's change of sides.

"Matt, I'll like to take you up on your offer for help. Could you get Linda from the Weapons Department here too as well? Thanks."

While he waited for Matt, Jerry sat quiet for a moment to collect his thoughts. First thing he was going to do would be to put a trace on Tim's W.O.O.H.P issued phone. Hopefully, that could lead them somewhere.

Jerry picked up the photograph again.

_We'll get the both of you out, stay strong._

* * *

**Plot twist haha. What do you guys think? **

**Thanks for all the consistent reviews I've been getting for the story. You guys rock! **

**Until next week! **

**-TrixieNancy**


	6. Chapter 6

**Unearthed Secrets**

Chapter 6

* * *

**An hour ago… (7.45am, Unknown Location)**

"You're a W.O.O.H.P agent."

"Close. Undercover agent actually." Del answered swiftly.

Because of the extensive, global nature of W.O.O.H.P, and the rising production of counterfeit badges, W.O.O.H.P devised a cryptic four line poem as a way for agents to confirm one another's identities. The first three lines never changed, but the final line changed every two weeks. The latest switch to the four line of the cryptic poem had only been disseminated the day before Sam was taken. It was therefore unlikely that Del was someone masquerading a W.O.O.H.P agent.

Del lowered his voice. "I have a plan, but I need your cooperation."

Tim turned his head to look at Sam to find her already sending a questioning look towards him. The couple had a silent discussion with their eyes and subtle expressions.

_Should we trust him? _Tim cocked his head to the side.

Sam shrugged. _What do we have to lose? He is our best bet now. _She gave Tim a pointed stare.

A moment later, Tim sighed in defeat, before channelling his gaze towards Del. "Fine."

Nodding in satisfaction, Del slowly guided Sam back into the cell, gracefully side-stepping the ceramic shards on the ground. She was still handcuffed. Tim reluctantly stepped in behind her.

Del had barely locked the cell door, when there was the sound of firm, hurried footsteps. His eyes darted down the hallway quickly.

"That might be Myrna. Play along." He murmured.

"What's going on here Del?" Moments later, Sam and Tim heard the unmistakeable alto voice belonging to Myrna. As if a switch had been flicked, Del straightened up, and his lips curled into a snarl.

"Try me again, and there will be hell to pay." He said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Go to hell." Tim spat, playing along as what Del had asked. He had manoeuvred them in a protective stance such that Sam's body was hidden behind him. Sam lowered her head, allowing her hair to partially obstruct her face as she huddled behind Tim. Her handcuffed hands prevented her from doing much else.

Del only glared daggers at the pair. By then, Myrna had arrived to stand next to Del. She was wearing a dark magenta dress, her shoulder length hair neatly combed and held by a hair band.

"Trouble in paradise Del?" She asked with raised eyebrows. Myrna glanced in the cell, her eyes glittering in mirth when she noted the handcuffs that held Sam's hands behind her back. Tim Scam was also looking rather tense as well. Del really lived up to his reputation, despite what just almost happened.

"Nah, I got it Myrna. They thought they could overpower me." Del replied nonchalantly.

"Glad you've gotten it under control Del. Think you need an extra pair of hands to handle those two? I can get George."

"I think I can manage Myrna. They caught me by surprise, that's all. Besides, I'm pretty sure George went drinking last night. I heard him come in at close to five."

"That man needs to control his alcohol intake." Myrna tsked. "Get him awake if you need anything. I need to get some work done, before we head up to L.A later."

At Myrna's mention of the words L.A, both Tim and Sam stiffened. "Oh, I'm not going to see Jerry," Myrna rolled her eyes when she noticed the shift in their body language. "Just got some other business to take care of."

"But if you are wondering about Jerry…I've already gotten someone to deliver a message to him." Myrna's eyes twinkled as she looked at Del. "It won't be long now…I gave him 24 hours."

_24 hours! _Sam's breathing quicken. They had to escape and get to Jerry before that. Myrna could not have the chance, whether big or small, to target Jerry, W.O.O.H.P or her friends.

Hopefully, whatever plan Del had, it would be good.

"I look forward to it." Del smiled smugly. Myrna nodded in satisfaction, and strode away.

All three of them only released the breath they were holding when the door at the end of the hallway closed behind Myrna.

"She's still going to keep an eye on the security footage." Tim said bluntly. "It's one of those mind games that she likes to play."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too." Del answered, casually leaning against a wall. He was facing Tim and Sam at an angle, so only a part of his face would be seen by the CCTV (should Myrna be watching).

"So what plan do you have?" Mindful that Myrna could be watching their every move, Sam was careful to avoid Del's eyes as she sat down (abit uncomfortably because of the handcuffs).

"Could you remove the handcuffs first though, before we talk?" Tim bargained. _What is with these criminals and handcuffs? First I was handcuffed, now Sam…. _It pained him to see Sam in discomfort, especially if he was in a helpless position like he was now.

"You don't have to." Sam said quickly. "Myrna could be watching. Besides, I'm fine."

"If he's really on our side, he would release you." Tim shot back. He was still slightly sceptical of Del's identity.

The man that was on guard duty sighed. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle with himself at Tim's words. Finally after a tensed silence, he walked slowly towards the grills of the cell.

"Come here and turn around." He instructed.

Tim helped Sam to stand, and the superspy ambled over to the cell grills. Within seconds, Del had the handcuffs unlocked. He slipped them off Sam's hands, and removed them from the cell.

Sam gratefully shook her hands out in front of her to get the blood flowing. "Thank you." She said. Tim kept mum but sent a curt nod in Del's direction. He took Sam's hands in his and began rubbing her wrist gently.

"So…This plan?" Sam prompted after a while. Tim had stopped massaging her wrist but kept one hand intertwined with hers. He lead the both of them to sit cross legged against one of the walls. Hopefully, anyone who was watching the CCTV footage would believe that they were talking quietly between themselves, rather than having a conversation with Del.

"Right…The plan. As you might know, I'm heading down to L.A with Myrna this afternoon." When Tim and Sam nodded hesitantly, Del continued.

"George will be left alone with you guys…I'm planning on spiking his drink." Del confessed.

One of Tim's eyebrows raised, and Sam's eyes widened. "Are you sure it'll work?" She asked.

"George is quite a drinker…I'm sure if I bring him a tinge of alcohol, it won't be hard to convince Myrna that he is still hungover." Del trailed off. He appeared confident, but his tone betrayed his uncertainty.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just let us go? This time it was Tim that spoke.

Del shook his head, running a hand through his head. "It's not that easy…I've been a deep cover agent for almost three years, starting off by doing odds and ends for many criminals. It took so long to build enough trust and a good reputation among them to be included in their plans. My position is really helpful to not just W.O.O.H.P, but also the FBI and CIA… It's just not worth the risk…No offence... Besides, my boss in Paris will kill me."

"None taken. Would Myrna suspect you though, if you drugged George?"

Del shrugged at Sam's question. "It'll be more difficult to trace back to me, I guess, since I'll be with her when this happens. But it's the best I can come up with to be honest."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Tim said.

"Wait a minute…You're affiliated with W.O.O.H.P… Could you contact Jerry for us?" Sam suddenly asked, the gears in her head turning.

"Already have. I didn't tell him where you guys are but assured him I'll get you out safely." Del answered. "I'm sorry to do things in such a roundabout way, but please understand that my position here as an undercover agent is at stake too. I can't give too much away without being suspected."

"Don't worry about it. Thanks for helping us out." The respect that Tim had for Del was slowly growing.

"Hey, I can't leave my fellow agents in the lurch like that…Oh by the way…If you casually look closely at the cloth I brought you, there is a safety pin attached to it…I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what to do with it."

As casually as she could, Sam rose from her sitting position and went over to where the food and water were placed. She picked up the takeout, a bottle of water, and the cloth. Ambling back, she sat back down in the same spot.

Tim took the water bottle and the cloth from her, immediately spotting the safety pin that Del was talking about. _Good enough to pick a lock. _ He made a show of uncapping the bottle and wetting the cloth with the water. As Tim wiped his hands on the damp cloth, he nimbly removed the safety pin, pocketing it.

"Here." He passed the cloth to Sam, giving her a wink. Sam nodded. _Thank goodness for Del. _

"Thanks Del, for everything." Sam told the man sincerely. Del shrugged.

"No big deal. That's about the extent of which I can help you. The rest is all up to you."

"It's already enough. Thanks, for everything, and for the breakfast." Tim held out the takeout and sent a curt nod in Del's direction. His eyes communicated a deeper sort of gratitude. Del returned the gesture.

* * *

**10.30am, W.O.O.H.P HQ. **

"Thanks for coming on such short notice everyone. I now call this meeting to order." Jerry sat down on a black leather chair at the end of the conference room. Six other heads nodded solemnly.

After the discovery of the second threatening message, Jerry decided to call in all the W.O.O.H.P agents that were involved in the Reformatory Program. Two of the others in the room, Agent Matt (a field agent) and Linda who was from the Weapon Department, currently worked in W.O.O.H.P HQ. The other four came from smaller associate branches in other cities of California.

"We don't mind Jerry. You sounded urgent over the phone." One of the women piped up. The rest nodded in agreement. Grateful for the cooperation, Jerry proceeded to outline what had transpired over the last 24 hours.

"We now have proof that both Sam and Tim Scam are in the hands of the kidnappers." The picture that had been sent in the mail was circulated between the agents in the room. Everyone seemed on the edge and tensions started to rise in the room. All the agents knew and liked Sam as they were all part of the Reformatory Program. And most of them had met Tim during the mandatory meetings held once a month. Both were held in high regard by almost all seated in the room.

"Do we have any information that could help us find them?" Someone asked.

"I've placed a trace on Tim's W.O.O.H.P issued phone." Agent Matt addressed the room. "It's currently turned off, but tracing the GPS, his last known location is here." The screen showed a zoomed in version of a GPS map. A red dot marked where Jerry was talking about. "This is a warehouse in San Diego. And last time stamp was 11pm."

"SDPD has also managed to trace the stolen car used to kidnap Sam. I'll be sending my agents over to San Diego to look at it ASAP, and I'll get them to check out the warehouse too." Jerry added. Clover's exam ended at 11am, which was soon. He intended to get her and Alex out as soon as possible to San Diego.

"What was Tim doing in San Diego anyway?" A man piped up. "Why kidnap him?"

"That's what I can't figure out…As for why he was in San Diego, I authorised it. His aunt had a stroke and isn't doing so good."

"Could he be involved in this Jerry?" The man pressed on. "I trust your judgement and all Jerry, but we got to cover our bases."

Jerry sighed. "I believe that Tim has changed for the better Royston. But I did make a call to his Aunt's home just to be safe. Tim went straight to her home after I gave the clearance. According to her however, he went out to meet some old friends, but he didn't mention who. He's not home yet…But I didn't want to worry her."

"He could have been lured by the kidnappers." Linda finally spoke.

"Could be." The man named Royston said. "Do we have any idea who kidnapped them?"

"Unfortunately, no…Fingerprints and CCTV footage all reveal nothing. But we do know for sure that there are at least two kidnappers, from the CCTV footage recovered from the villa Sam lives in with the girls." Jerry answered.

"Another reason why I called you all here is to discuss about the kidnapper's demands…We're not going to give them what they want…For obvious reasons." The head of W.O.O.H.P stated. "But we can't possibly ignore their demands either."

"The text message you received Jerry…He or she did state that they would get them both out right?"

Jerry nodded at Matt's question. "Yes they did. And while I'm sure that they would keep to their word, but we need to prepare for the possibility that Sam and Tim might not make it back before the kidnappers contact us again."

Jerry turned to Linda, who was head of the Weapons Department. "Linda, are there any gadgets that resemble the sonic ray guns in terms of size and shape?"

"Not exactly, but I can modify a few parts of some other gadgets to make them look more like the sonic ray guns." Linda replied after some thought.

"Could you insert a tracking chip into these guns too?" Someone else added. Everyone started talking, chipping in their ideas on how to modify the gadgets so that they looked like the sonic ray guns from afar, but otherwise didn't do physical damage.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Linda took down some notes before nodding.

"Excellent. Anyone else have any concerns?" Jerry addressed the group. "If not, meeting adjourned. I'll keep everyone updated. Thank you for coming."

* * *

**11.30am, Spies Villa**

Clover's examination for Advanced Shoe Theory ended at eleven. Although the end of the exam signified the end of the semester, Clover did not share the relief and excitement for the holidays like her peers were. Her mind was filled with worries about her missing friend.

The superspy hurried back to the Villa as soon as she could. Jerry had said he intended to send them down to San Diego to check out the blue sedan that was used to kidnap Sam. Clover didn't want to waste any time.

"Hey Alex." Clover greeted when she spotted her friend in the living room. Her athletic friend was seated cross legged on the carpeted floor, a piece of paper in front of her. Various W.O.O.H.P gadgets of different shapes and sizes littered the floor and coffee table around her.

"Hey Clover. How was Advanced Shoe Theory?"

"Don't remind me." Clover waved her hand as if to dismiss Alex's question. "You've certainly been busy…Do we really have THAT many gadgets?" She raised her eyebrows as she surveyed the room. She even caught sight of a few older models of gadgets that had otherwise been upgraded.

"Yeah. I found thirty two gadgets in total, with twenty five of them still usable." Alex read off from the paper. "Oh by the way, Jerry said to call him when you are back and ready to rumble. I've heated up some leftovers if you want some."

"Nah, lunch can wait. Let's go." Clover said without hesitation. Now that her exams were over, finding Sam was her main priority.

It wasn't long after when Clover and Alex were W.O.O. into HQ. They immediately suited up while waiting for instructions from Jerry. Their boss looked frazzled, even though it barely even noon.

"Alright girls. Like I briefed you over the phone this morning, SDPD found the blue sedan that was used in Sam's abduction." Both spies nodded. "I'll need you girls to go to SDPD to investigate the vehicle. Check it for hairs, clues or anything else that might provide the identity of the kidnappers."

"Roger that Jer." Alex pipped up.

"Another thing girls. I'll be sending you girls to check out this abandoned warehouse as well." The screen behind Jerry showed the satellite location of said warehouse.

"Is there anything we should be looking out for Jerry?" Clover had her thinking face on.

"Just for clues in particular. We've gotten wind that this warehouse might have been a meeting location for the kidnappers." Jerry replied. "And now for the gadgets. I'm giving you girls the Evidence Sweeper Analyzer, yes the same one that I gave you girls yesterday. The hairpin lockpick, the Wind Tunnel 3000 Tornado Blast Hair Dryer, and the Net Granade. Jerry handed them the gadgets in turn. "And of course an evidence kit for the each of you."

"Thanks Jer." Both girls said.

"You're welcome. And don't worry too much girls. I have faith that we'll get Sam back." The three of them shared a weak smile.

"Now, off you girls go." He pushed a button that sent Clover and Alex on a conveyor belt into the jet room.

Once both girls were out of sight, Jerry sighed. He hoped he was doing the right thing by not telling Clover and Alex about Tim's involvement in all of this. He had a feeling that Tim's relationship with Sam wasn't as simple as co-workers (as part of the reformatory program). And that would be Sam's story to tell. Besides, he had an inkling that Clover and Alex may not be as accepting of the fact that Tim was part of the reformatory program, based on their history with him. He didn't want to further complicate the problem they were facing.

* * *

**11.45am, Unknown Location**

For Tim and Sam, the rest of the morning passed rather uneventfully. Tim spent most of his time pacing up and down the cell. Partly for show, partly because he was truly anxious to go ahead with the plan that Del had suggested. He hoped it would work. Not only for his and her sake, but also for Del's.

It felt like eternity, but finally the trio heard the opening and closing of the door at the end of the hallway. Del stood up straight from his leaning position. The stockier man, which Sam and Tim now knew was named George, strode down the hallway. He was carrying three bags of takeout.

"George." Del nodded curtly. The stockier man returned the greeting. He casted a look of contempt in Tim and Sam's direction, who merely ignored him. He placed the takeout that was meant for Tim and Sam right next to the cell bars without another care.

George took one of the bags and handed it to Del. "Here's the subway sandwich you wanted. Myrna wants me to let you know that she intends leave in 45 minutes." George said gruffly.

"Thanks man. You look like shit. Didn't get much sleep I reckon?" Indeed, George looked as if he just tumbled out of bed. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was unshaven. He was also a little unsteady on his feet.

"Got a pounding headache that's what I've got." The other man groaned.

"You want anything from the pantry? Some water, hangover pills or a coffee or something to keep you awake? You'll be here for awhile." Del said, his voice laced with sympathy.

George thought for a moment. "Coffee doesn't work for me. Tea would be good Del. Thanks."

Del waved George's thanks away. "Just looking out for my fellow colleague. Myrna would have both our heads if you fall asleep on the job."

George lowered his voice slightly. "Truth to be told, I don't understand we still need to keep an eye out on those two right here." He jabbed a thumb in Tim and Sam's direction. "We can connect the CCTV to our laptops and still be able to do our jobs somewhere more comfortable." George casted a distasteful look at the corridor of the cells, which were both dusty, warm and dingy.

"I don't question the boss's orders." Del shrugged. "I'll be back in 5 with the tea. Thanks again for the lunch George." Patting the stockier man on the shoulder, Del left.

Once Del was gone, George settled himself as comfortably as he could leaning against the wall. He eyed Sam and Tim with suspicion and scorn. "The food's there," he gestured to the bag leaning against the cell bars. "Help yourselves."

"You could have at least brought it in." Sam muttered under her breath, as she crossed the small cell. She reached her small hand between the bars and attempted to retrieve the bag.

"And have a repeat of this morning's incident? I think not." George scoffed. He had clearly heard about their attack on Del that morning. "I'm not as soft and stupid as Del is." He watched in some amusement as Sam tried again to fit the bulky takeout bag through the narrow bars of the cell.

After some failed tries, Sam huffed in exasperation, and finally resorted to taking the sandwiches out of the bag individually. George's smirk deepened. Tim came over to help her, all while throwing a dirty look at George. He was treating them like some circus animals. Tim could feel a surge of anger within. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

At that moment, Del returned. He carried two water bottles in one hand, and in the other, a steaming mug of tea. Tucked under his arm appeared to be a foldable chair.

Del set the cup of tea in the stockier man's hand, and the bottles of water on the ground. "Thought you might want this." He gestured to the foldable chair he was carrying. "Standing around for so many hours strains the leg like hell."

"Thank goodness. Thanks man." George said gratefully as Del unfolded the piece of furniture. The stocky man sat down on the chair, and inhaled the aroma of the tea in his hands with a thankful sigh.

"No worries. It'll benefit everyone." Del shrugged. "I really regretted not bringing the chair with me this morning." The undercover agent grabbed the bottles of water on the floor and made the move to unlock the gate.

George watched what Del was doing with trepidation. "Not worried for a repeat of this morning?"

"Nah. With the two of us here, they wouldn't dare." Del answered, quickly unlocking the cell door and sent the two bottles of water rolling in. As Del locked up, he gave Tim and Sam a meaningful look and a wink.

Tim nodded, Del's body preventing George from seeing him.

_Plan in motion then... _Sam thought. _Now we wait._

* * *

**Reviews will be wonderful; always happy to hear from you guys! Thanks for all the support on the story thus far! **

**-TrixieNancy124**


	7. Chapter 7

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 7

* * *

**12.45pm, San Diego**

Clover and Alex found the San Diego Police Department without a problem, as their jet had ejected them a stone's throw away from the building. Straightening their hair and their spy suits, the duo walked in.

"Hi, can I help you?" A woman with dirty blonde hair tied up in a messy ponytail was minding the front desk. Clover stepped forward and held up her W.O.O.H.P badge.

"We're here to see Captain Burns on official business."

"Of course," the woman stumbled over her words slightly as her eyes raked Clover and Alex's forms. She was probably expecting W.O.O.H.P agents to be older, and not what Clover and Alex were. "Captain Burns told me to be expecting you. Please, come this way."

Captain Burns was a middle age man with a no nonsense attitude and a pot belly. In no time at all, the two superspies were shown to a garage where the stolen blue sedan was being kept. A car cover sheet had been placed over the sedan.

"When we found the car we ran the license plate number, realised that it was a car of interest to you, and informed W.O.O.H.P." Captain Burns explained.

"When did the owners report the car being stolen Captain?" Alex asked as they stood beside the vehicle.

"A week ago exactly today. We've already informed them that we have found the vehicle, they will be down tomorrow morning to pick it up. Would that be okay with you?"

"Yes. We'll be long done by then." Clover answered. "Do you have their fingerprints on database by any chance? Just so we can rule them out?"

"I'll ask the Police Department in their district to send the details over." Captain Burns said. "Feel free to ask me or any of my staff if you need any assistance. We've been instructed to help you in anyway we can."

"Alright. Thank you Captain Burns." Alex answered gratefully. The man nodded, and left Clover and Alex alone to do their work.

"Let's do this." Clover said, her eyes raking over the sedan in question. "Sam is counting on us."

"Yeah. Let's do this Clover." Both friends shared a firm, determined nod. They were finally feeling like they were doing some useful to help bring Sam back. And both Clover and Alex were going to give their 110% in it.

Clover investigated the sedan's doors with a critical eye. The blonde haired spy had her evidence kit out and was brushing the door handles with fingerprint powder. It yielded several fingerprints (and some partials) which Clover immediately got to taking samples of. She ran the samples on W.O.O.H.P's database, but none were on it_. I'll have to wait until fingerprint data came from Captain Burns to rule out the owners of the sedan. _Clover sighed. But she had a feeling that the fingerprints won't tell much of a story.

_If I was going to kidnap someone, or steal a car, I would definitely wear gloves. _She thought.

Alex started by taking a visual inventory of what was in the car. Other than some gas station receipts, the car was as neat as a pin. _Either the owners of the car were neat freaks, or our kidnappers were careful._ She carefully bagged the receipts, before getting the Evidence Sweeper Analyser running. With some assistance from Clover, Alex ran the ESA around the interior of the car; starting with the backseat and the carpet at the back. The backseat didn't yield anything useful, neither did the soil and dirt samples they found on the carpet.

However, the girls were luckier while investigating the passenger seat. The ESA began beeping incessantly. On closer inspection, Alex picked up what appeared to be a strand of hair.

"The root is still on it!" She cried excitedly, gesturing for Clover to make her way over. Without wasting a second, Clover whipped out her X-Powder. She connected it to the ESA so that W.O.O.H.P's records can be analysed. Alex dropped the hair onto the scanner of the ESA.

**Analysing Sample…**

It took only a few minutes, but it was one of the longest few minutes that Clover and Alex experienced.

**Match found.**

The screen showed a photograph of a man named George Akkay. He was stocky, with black hair, piercing blue orbs, and wearing the jumpsuit that all W.O.O.H.P criminals wore. According to the information provided, he had served a four year sentence for robbery and holding a policeman at gunpoint.

"He was released six months ago…" Alex mused under her breath. "Wonder how long he's been planning this…

But Clover was only half listening. "Look at this Alex." Clover pointed to the residential address listed on the information sheet. The address was in San Diego.

"Good find Clover…We should call Jerry."

When Clover and Alex had called Jerry to inform him of their discovery, Jerry had put out a warrant of arrest for George Akkay at once. He also promised to asked SDPD to send a car to George Akkay's home for surveillance. There could be a possibility that George Akkay's home was used as the headquarters for the kidnapping operation.

The girls also did a though sweep of the driver's seat of the blue sedan, but the few hair samples found there either did not contain useable DNA samples, or yielded no results in CODIS.

The fingerprints on the car doors and steering wheel were of no help either. They proved to belong to the members of the family that owned the stolen sedan. Clover and Alex were disappointed that they had not discovered more, but Jerry reminded them that they had helped gave them the biggest lead to date.

"Jerry…Do you have George Akkay's DNA records?" Alex chewed on her lip before asking.

"W.O.O.H.P has the records of every prisoner, so yes we do have them…" Jerry narrowed his eyes, not sure where Alex was going with this.

"Well…Remember the red stopper head I found at Sam's room?" On a hunch, Alex told Jerry her theory. Only partial DNA samples could be extracted from the stopper. But if George Akkay really was one of the kidnappers, would the partial DNA samples be enough to fully place him at the scene of the crime?

"You might be on to something Alex…" A note of excitement came into Jerry's voice. "Stay on the line, I'll cross reference the samples immediately."

* * *

**1pm, Unknown Location, San Diego**

With nothing to do (except to keep an eye on his two hostages), George savoured his lunch slowly. In his takeout bag was a burger, some fries, and a can of beer. Sam chewed on her lip thoughtfully as she stared at the can of beer . _That could be useful to help Del build up his story against George… _

George did not touch the alcoholic beverage, instead sipped on the tea that Del had brought him bit by bit. He alternated between bites of his food and the beverage until it was finally finished. During this process, Tim noted that he was massaging his temples as well. _No doubt due to the headache that he mentioned to Del… Serves him right really, to get drunk when he has to do guard work. _

Tim and Sam kept watch of George at the corner of their eyes as they waited for the drugs to kick in. They had already eaten their takeout, hydrated themselves and were ready for action.

However, it took almost an hour for the drugs to take effect. Tim was almost starting to question Del's honesty when they finally noticed the clear signs of drowsiness appear on George's face. He started to yawn repeatedly, and was rapidly trying to blink away the sleepiness from his eyes.

When George caught himself yawning once again, he rolled his eyes and immediately stood up. _Must be the food coma…A little walk will do me good. _He thought to himself. But as he stood, he immediately had to grab the wall to steady himself. The stocky man blinked a few times as he felt the world around him spin. He had to sit himself down again.

A few minutes later, George was out cold, thanks to a dosage of sleeping pills.

Tim and Sam stayed put for another five minutes, just to make sure that George was unconscious. Once certain, Tim then turned away from the camera, and begin to fiddle with the buckle of his belt.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked curiously, walking up to him.

"Don't want to implicate Del unless necessary." Tim replied, turning around once more to face Sam and the camera. In his hand, he held the safety pin that Del had sneaked to them. Sam immediately understood the intention behind Tim's actions. It would appear, to the CCTV camera at least, that Tim had gotten the safety pin from somewhere on his person (maybe from the waistband of his pants or something).

"Good idea." She whispered, as her companion sneaked to the cell door. Tim began the tedious process of picking the lock. Sam would sneak peaks at George while she watched Tim work, her senses still high on the alert. She wasn't about to let her guard down until they were far, far away from the prison cell they were in now.

Thanks to Tim's skill and experience in lock picking, the cell door gave way in a matter of minutes. Tim and Sam exited the small cell they were in and scanned their surroundings. There was no one else along the hallways or in the other cells, apart from themselves and a now unconscious George.

Tim instantly wanted to stalk towards the door at the end of the hallway, but Sam stayed put. The former felt a pull on their joined hands and stopped. Sea-foamed eyes met emerald ones in question. Tim could almost see the gears in Sam's mind turning as thoughts spooled within her.

"We don't want to implicate Del unless necessary." She repeated what her beau had said only moments before. The possibility of what she could do to minimise that from happening was boiling to the surface. Del had risked a lot by helping them to escape. The least they could do would be to return the favour by covering for him, in any way possible.

_What I wouldn't give for a Hologram Projection Ring right now… _Sam thought. That would make things so much easier.

"I'll take care of this. That door over there is yours." Sam finally said.

While Tim went to see what kind of lock was on the door at the end of the hallway, Sam looked around. The first thing she did was to study the CCTV video recorder that was still hooked up and running.

_Okay…Think, Sam, Think. George is leaning against the wall where the video recorder is on, and based on what I can remember…I think it shouldn't be able to capture him in full view… Right, I should disable the camera first then. _

Sam got to work. She first unplugged the video recorder from its power source, before hunting for the memory card. After finding, removing and pocketing the small piece of plastic, Sam smashed the entire video recorder on the floor, just for good measure. By the time Sam was finished, the lens had fully cracked, and there was a deep crack line on the body of the recording device.

Step one complete, Sam picked up the unopened beer can that was next to George. By then, Tim had returned to her side, having realised that George probably had the key to the door at the end of the hallway. With the ring of keys from George's jacket pocket, Tim had the door unlocked within moments.

Quickly, the superspy emptied the entire can of beer in the toilet, before flushing the liquid away. She then crushed the can and placed it lying on the floor next to George. "That should help Del craft a believable tale…I hope." She murmured.

"He'll be fine Sam…I'm sure he'll worm his way out of this." Tim reassured her, pulling her into a quick hug. After saying a silent prayer in her heart for Del, Sam and Tim crept out of the hallway, towards freedom.

* * *

**2.30pm, Abandoned Warehouse, San Diego**

True to Alex's hunch, the partial DNA samples on the stopper matched George Akkay's. The man was now officially a notable person of interest in the case. There was a BOLO out for him. After assuring Clover and Alex that he would contact them the moment they found George Akkay, Jerry had hung up.

Currently, Clover and Alex had just arrived at the abandoned warehouse, their next stop in their investigation. They were slightly behind schedule; it had taken longer usual for them to sign the clearance forms at the SDPD. Plus, they made a quick stop to get Clover a late lunch before heading to the next location.

The abandoned warehouse was situated near a dock, next to a patch of forested area (though different from the forest where the blue sedan had been found). In the light of the day, the place did not give off an eerie vibe. Rather, Alex felt sadness creep up her spine as she stared at the abandoned building. What once was a vibrant warehouse for shipping goods was now only a shell of its' former self.

Aware that they ought to be cautious, Alex parked the car SDPD had kindly lent them in the cover of the bushes. The black car could barely be seen unless someone was actively looking.

The two superspies started their investigation by taking a walk around the perimeter of the building, both to look for clues, and to get a sensing of the layout of the building.

"Hey, look at that!" Clover suddenly cried out. There was a car parked off to the side of the abandoned warehouse. However, the girls were too far away to see if there was anyone in the car. The duo shared a look, before they approached with caution. _There could be someone in there. _

Once they were closer to the vehicle, the spies could tell that the car's engine wasn't running. They were also close enough to see the car's windows were tinted. Circling the vehicle, Clover and Alex concluded with a visible sigh of relief that there wasn't anyone in the car.

Alex touched the hood of the car with the back of her hand. "It's cold. This car's been here awhile." She mused. _Then where is the driver then? _Her eyes darted towards the building next to her. _Could it be….? _She wondered, her wide eyes locking with Clover's.

Clover only whipped out her X-Powder in response.

At that exact moment, Jerry had just finished an interesting phone call with the Head of W.O.O.H.P Paris. Apparently, some of the hairs that Clover and Alex had analysed belonged to an undercover agent from that branch. DNAs for undercover agents were heavily protected in the W.O.O.H.P database, so the analysis that Clover and Alex had done triggered the alarm in their database.

The head of W.O.O.H.P Paris was a middle-aged man, almost fifteen years Jerry's junior. After outlining the reason for his call, the man had asked about the situation he had heard from his undercover agent.

"What is this I heard about the kidnapping of one of your agents?"

Jerry had sighed and proceeded to inform his counterpart all that had transpired in the past 36 hours.

"Is there anyway you could get in contact with your agent? More information could help us get Sam and Tim out before the kidnappers contact us again." Jerry didn't think it was possible, but it was still an avenue he was willing to try out.

"You know that's against protocol Jerry, I have the responsibility to keep my undercover agent safe. If anything, he will contact us if he is in a safe position to do so."

"I understand Sean."

"And there is that issue about Tim Scam…I warned you about it when you told me about the idea you had for the Reformatory Program Jerry. I wasn't fully on board with the idea, and I'm still not fully on board now. And now look, one of the people in the program has gotten themselves into trouble too. You can't overlook the possibility that he might be tangled in all of this mess." Sean said over the video call.

Jerry only sighed, his expression making him appear a decade older. After Sean reassured him that his deep cover agent would do all they could to get Sam and Tim out, the call ended.

Jerry was deep in thought when Clover's call came through.

"Hey Jer." Clover said without preamble. "We need you to run a license plate number for us."

"Alright." Jerry sat poised and ready to type on his computer. Clover pratted on a list of numbers and letters, and he keyed them in.

_Why am I not surprised? _Jerry resisted the urge to sigh as he looked at the owner of the car that was listed in front of him. It was Tim's car.

"Nothing turns up on my end." Jerry fibbed, trying to mask his emotions as best as he could. "I'll get the police department to look out for it." It was a white lie, but it was in best interest for everyone. He wasn't going to tell Clover and Alex about Tim's involvement in this, not over the phone at least.

"Where did you find the car girls?"

"It's parked outside the warehouse you asked us to check." This time it was Alex that spoke, as her face appeared on the camera. "The car hood is cold Jer. It's been here awhile. But I don't know if whoever that owns the car is still here."

"Exercise caution ladies. Check the place thoroughly, whoever that drove this car might be still here. Don't do anything rash...Call me if you need anything."

"Okay Jer. Talk to you later." Alex nodded. Though she might sound confident, her eyes betraying her fears.

Once Clover had put her X-Powder away, she inclined her head towards the building. _Let's go. _Alex returned the gesture tersely.

And so, with Alex gripping onto the Wind Tunnel Tornado Blast Hairdryer tightly in her hand while Clover held a torchlight in one hand and the Net Grenade in another, the spies crept into the abandoned warehouse.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**2.30pm, Los Angeles, Unknown Location. **

Del had driven him and Myrna in his sleek black car all the way from San Diego to Los Angeles. The deep cover agent said nothing when Myrna took over the wheel the moment they reached L.A. Myrna had been very hush-hush about why they were taking a trip to Los Angeles, and where exactly they were going.

They had just left the city to the more sub-urban areas when Del spoke casually from the passenger seat.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me where we're going now Myrna?" He kept his voice light and curious.

"You'll find out soon." The ex-convict said with a mysterious smile.

"Can I ask why I've been ask to come along then?" In the three months that he had been working under Myrna, she had always taken trips to L.A on her own. What was so special about this one?

"We could use your technical expertise. Just sit tight Del. Everything will be clear once we get there." Myrna replied.

_Why do I get the feeling I won't like who 'we' refers to? _

They finally arrived at what appeared to be a dumpster. The young man hopped out of the vehicle behind Myrna, wondering what kind of business Myrna had that involved coming to a dumpster.

Del's questions were answered moments later when Myrna spotted someone in the distance, and began striding purposefully towards them.

When the undercover agent caught sight of the signature afro belonging to whom they were meeting, he gulped.

_This should be interesting… _

It was Boogie Gus, former member of the LAMOS.

"Myrna. Always a pleasure to see you." Boogie Gus greeted the middle age woman warmly. Del stood slightly back, watching as the duo exchanged pleasantries.

Despite originally being part of W.O.O.H.P Paris, Del wasn't all that naïve about the criminal activities going on in the US. The LAMOS were notorious. Their (foiled) plans were often talk of the office when he was an undercover agent in training. When he was posted as an undercover agent in San Diego, Del had made a point to always stay one step ahead of the criminals he was 'working' for. He recognised Boogie Gus from the research he had done on Myrna in their initial stage of partnership.

"Gus, this is Del, the associate of mine I have been talking about. Del, this is Gus." Myrna made the necessary introductions. Del indicated a greeting with a nod of his head.

Boogie Gus returned Del's greeting, before gesturing for the duo to follow him. "Come, let us take a seat in my van. We've got plenty to discuss."

* * *

**Reviews will be appreciated as always! Until the next chapter! **

**-TrixieNancy**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: The timeline in the subsequent two chapters might be confusing, but Tim and Sam's activities took place an hour before (starting from 1.15pm). While Clover and Alex's POVs takes place an hour later (starting from 2.45pm) **

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 8

* * *

**An hour ago…**

**1.15pm, Los Angeles, Unknown Location**

"The coast is clear, come on." As stealthily as they could, Tim and Sam sneaked down the hallway, hand in hand. Although Del had practically implied that George was the only one in the building with them, one could never be too careful.

The corridors were dimly lit; there were no windows to bring in natural light, the only light source was a lightbulb overhead.

They appeared to be in an isolated wing of a building. After leaving the jail cells behind, the few rooms that Tim and Sam checked were bare or sparsely furnished.

"Nothing here either." Tim was beginning to feel frustrated. He had hoped that after their escape, finding their way out or even his W.O.O.H.P phone and gadgets would have been easy. But so far, there wasn't anything useful.

_Myrna, Del and George should be living in this building…_Tim mused. _If we find their rooms, maybe we can find some gadgets. Or maybe even my W.O.O.H.P phone. _

Sam on the other hand, was all too aware of the coolness of the concrete floor beneath her feet. _I really need to find some shoes._ She thought, shivering as goosebumps prickled her arms. A pair of long sleeved pajamas could only warm her so much.

"Here." Suddenly, Tim stopped moving. The trenchcoat that was slung over his shoulders was removed. Gingerly, Tim slipped the trenchcoat over her lean frame. He helped her arms into the trenchcoat sleeves and buttoned it up, his sea-foamed eyes serious as he worked.

When he was done, Tim held both of her hands, and stared at her for a moment. "Your hands, they were freezing." He said as a way of explanation.

"Thanks Tim." She smiled, enveloped in safety and the familiar smell of him.

"Can't have you passing out on me, not after what we took to escape." His words, although laced with some sarcasm, and was to the point, still made her heart flutter nonetheless.

They came to a wooden door that was closed, but not locked. As they passed through them, she glanced at him before speaking.

"On a serious note though, I need some shoes." Her tone was blunt and firm. A sudden jolt of realisation dawned on Tim's face.

"Good point." His voice was even as he answered. "I hope to find my gadgets and my W.O.O.H.P phone too, if possible."

Through the door, the duo entered a new wing of the building. This one had more obvious signs of inhabitation. A beige, L-shaped sofa was situated at the corner of the room with a couple of cushions on it. There was a coffee table, a few magazines and leftover take out boxes as well. An old television set, a dining table with foldable chairs and a simple kitchen area completed the look of the spacious room. Dark green curtains hung from every window, keeping the room dark and dreary looking.

As Tim took a glimpse down a hallway to his left, he spied three sets of doors, all closed or left ajar. _Three doors, three rooms for the three of them…_

"Come on. This way." He whispered, tugging her hand in the direction of the rooms.

Sam followed him warily. Pressed for time, the duo decided to split up their search. Tim pressed his ear to the first door, searching for any source of sound. When there was none, he opened the door and went in to investigate. Sam took the room at the end of the hallway, doing the same check as what Tim had done.

The moment Sam entered the room, she knew it belonged to Myrna. A heavy perfume scent lingered in the air, so concentrated that it was almost choking. Sam bit her lip, willing herself to focus on the task at hand. _Finding some shoes hopefully…. _

Myrna's room was furnished simply. Sam caught sight of an alarm clock on the bedside dresser. The time read 1.23pm. _I've been gone for almost 36 hours…_Her friends and family must be worried sick!

After a quick search, the only shoes that Sam could find that fit her relatively was a pair of flip flops. Myrna's shoes were all too big for her. By chance, she managed to find a laser fountain pen as well, tucked away in the dresser drawer. Pocketing it in Tim's trenchcoat, Sam slipped on the flip flops and went in search of her beau.

"This is George's room." Tim said, when she found him searching the second room. "The first belonged to Del."

"Any luck? I found a laser fountain pen, but that's about it." She told him. Tim glanced at her flip flop covered feet. His brows furrowed, and he sent her an incredulous look. Sam only shrugged. "Myrna's shoes all don't fit."

Tim dropped the subject. "No gadgets or my W.O.O.H.P cell phone…Myrna must have kept them with her." He deduced, resisting the urge to sigh. He should have known things wouldn't be so easy.

"If there's nothing else we've been here long enough…Let's go. Who knows how long George will regain consciousness?"

Tim was about to chorus his agreement when suddenly the duo heard a loud clang. The sound travelled easily down the empty hallway and reached their ears. Sam's eyes widened considerably, and she shared an uneasy look with Tim. _Had George already awakened? _

"What was that?" Her voiced dropped to a whisper. Tim's eyes scanned the room, and he hurriedly picked up a baseball bat lying in the (opened) wardrobe.

"Stay behind me." Light on his feet, Tim crept towards the door. Sam scrambled to find a weapon as well, and finally grasped the laser fountain pen tightly in her hand.

Both Tim and Sam's senses were on high alert as they tip-toed as silently as they could.

CLANG! CLANG!

Someone was definitely there. The sound was coming from the kitchen area.

Tim's body was all tensed up, the muscles in his back tight and taut. Sam was right next to him, the laser poised and ready to use if necessary.

They were now at the edge of the corridor now. Only a wall separated them and whoever was in the kitchen.

They shared a look. Tim made a motion with his hands for her to stay still and quiet. Sam nodded tersely.

Tim snuck a quick peak. His facial expression went from serious, to confusion, to…amusement?

"I don't think we'll have a problem." He laughed, gesturing for Sam to take a look.

"Meow."

Sam practically sagged in relief when she peered around the corridor. A ginger cat sat on the kitchen counter, watching them with curious eyes. There was a steel pan on the ground.

_False alarm. _She couldn't be more glad.

It didn't take long for Sam and Tim to finally escape the hell hole they had been trapped in. However, the duo found themselves surrounded by forest. Trees and leaves of all colours ranging from red to yellow to orange, were all that Sam could see in the distance.

Tim was scanning their environment, a scowl emerging on his handsome features. "Figures we'll be trapped in a forest." He muttered. When were things ever that easy?

"Lighten up…We'll just have to think and work smart." She squeezed their intertwined hands in encouragement.

Sam surveyed her surroundings again. "We must have been brought here by car…So there must be a road somewhere." She spoke her thoughts out loud.

The pair proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the building, soon coming across a dirt road. Fallen autumn leaves coated the sides of the path, but the faint tire marks in the dirt was as clear as day. Positive they were on the right track, Sam and Tim started to walk.

* * *

**2.45pm, Abandoned Warehouse, San Diego**

The air in the warehouse was musky, a clear indication that it was not in regular used. The perfect place for clandestine meetings, especially between criminals. Clover barely resisted the urge to throw the door open just a little wider to get the fresh air into her lungs. The first thing her torchlight caught sight of was the overhead beams that held the second storey flooring in place.

"This place is huge." Alex's eyes were trained on the space in front of her, which extended way beyond where the light of Clover's torch reached. Her watchful for any movement. Clover nodded. The spies stood silent for a moment, listening for any trace's sounds. Only after a minute had passed, did they start their investigation.

The girls first did a preliminary search of the warehouse interior, both the second and third floors. They didn't want to be caught snooping if the owner of the car outside, or anyone that might pose a threat were still around. Satisfied that there was no one else in the warehouse with them, both spies searched every inch of the ground floor of the warehouse for clues. They were guided only by the faint light of their torches.

Alex used the Evidence Sweeper Analyzer to help, while Clover relied on her eyes. Simultaneously, they always kept an eye on the side door that they had came in from, wary of intruders. However, it was much like looking for a needle in a haystack. Without any concrete idea of what exactly they were searching for, there wasn't much to spot. The Evidence Sweeper Analyzer did not pick up anything suspicious as well. There were a lot of false alarms of dust bunnies and loose screws, but that was it.

Clover and Alex were about to start on the second floor of the warehouse, when a sound in the distance shattered the comfortable silence they had been working in.

The sound of a car engine, quickly growing fainter and fainter.

Without wasting a second, both spies raced to the exit (which they had left partially opened). They reached there just in time to see the car that once was parked there, drive away into the distance.

"After it!" Clover declared a split second later, sprinting towards their rented vehicle. "They're getting away!"

* * *

**One hour ago…**

**1.50pm, Unknown Location, San Diego. **

They had been walking steadily for almost twenty minutes. The dense forest was slowly giving way to more sparse vegetation. If she strained her eyes, Sam could make out the shape of a farmhouse some distance ahead. They were planning to head there to ask for directions, or perhaps even use their phone. She shifted her feet in Myrna's big flip flops, trying to get a good grip on them.

Flip flops were not the best thing to walk long distances with. The soles of her feet were beginning to heat up, the friction between them and the flip-flops slowly getting to her. But still, Sam pressed on, fuelled by her determination to escape, and to get to Jerry before Myrna contacted them again.

The rough, calloused hand that had never left hers was another source of solace. Ever since Tim became officially part of the Reformatory Program, they hadn't had more than fifteen minutes together. Tim's every action had been watched like a hawk, and he won't be truly free until the year was up. Now, to have Tim's undisturbed company was a rare opportunity that Sam was holding on to. She squeezed his hand gently.

When Tim turned his head to look at her, she sent him one of those beautiful smiles which he had fell in love with. He returned her smile.

"As much as we are stuck in the middle of all of these, I'm glad you're here." She said simply.

Tim brought their linked hands to his lips and gently kiss the back of her palm. The action sent multiple hairs standing on her arms. "Same here Sammy. Same here."

"How's your aunt doing?" After a moment of silence, she broached the question. Tim had mentioned it when they were in captivity, but they were too focused on trying to get out of the situation for Sam to really ask Tim about it.

Tim raked his free hand through his brown hair as he released a great sigh. "She's doing okay I guess…A bit slower in her movements, but she's generally fine…Thank god. She must be worried sick though…" Tim trailed off, unwilling to even go down that road.

"She'll be fine Tim. We'll make a call to her as soon as we can." She assured him. They were now close enough to see the extensive plantation fields that belonged to the farm ahead.

As they finally trudged up the remaining way to the farmhouse, a middle age lady carrying an empty basket met them along the way.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was warm, but laced with general wariness as she casted a suspicious look at Sam's attire. The superspy pulled Tim's trenchcoat closer to her body subconsciously. She was aware that they probably looked dirty and haggard. Added her mismatched clothing, shoes and attire, and Tim only in a singlet and pants, they were an odd pair.

"Yes…We kind of got lost…And we were just wondering where we are now, and how to get to the closest town…" Tim began.

The woman clucked her teeth in sympathy. "You're about three miles away from the nearest town. I'm not going to ask how you got yourself in this situation, but no way am I letting you two walk in this autumn weather, wearing only that." As if to prove her point, Tim suddenly let out two loud sneezes in succession. The woman shook her head.

"Come on, I think my son has an old coat that would fit you." Her tone left no room for argument. Sam and Tim followed the woman to the back entrance of the house.

* * *

A warm cup of tea and a fitting of an old coat later, Tim and Sam were feeling much better than before.

"Thank you so much, for the tea and for your hospitality." Sam said gratefully as she sipped on the hot beverage. Myrna's old slippers had been exchanged for a pair of boots that were slightly too big, but more comfortable to walk in compared to the flip flops. The woman waved Sam's thanks off with a hand. "I would have extended the same to everyone."

"Thank you madam. We're really grateful. If you don't mind, could we make a phone call? We kinda lost our cell phones and my aunt must be pretty worried right now…" Tim trailed off, as his eyes darted towards the telephone that hung on the kitchen wall, which he was itching to use.

The woman nodded and gestured for Tim to use the phone. She kept herself purposefully busy on the other side of the kitchen as Tim stood up. Sam followed him silently to the phone.

They both knew that calling W.O.O.H.P from a landline like this was out of the question. There were many layers of security checks that just couldn't be said in front of an audience. Besides, Mrs Walters (they had learnt the name of the woman) had been nothing been nice and hospitable to them. It wouldn't be fair to her if they implicated her in this tangled web of national security. _Even if we did, we'll be breaking oh I don't know, a dozen or so W.O.O.H.P protocol. _Sam thought to herself.

Tim dialled the number of his aunt's home that he had memorised all so long ago. It rang and rang and rang. Tim was about to give up when he heard his aunt's voice coming on the line.

"Hello?"

"Hi Aunt Lorraine…." He had the decency to sound sheepish (even though he was just as much of a victim as Sam was.)

"Timothy? Is that you?" Relief was clear in his aunt's voice. "It's almost two twenty! Where have you been?!"

"Sorry Aunt Lorraine…I met with some friends and we chatted and had a few drink…We crashed at about 5am and I woke up not long ago…"

"Well, you at least could have the decency to keep your phone on, and answer it when I call…" His aunt replied brusquely.

"Sorry." He scratched the back of his head. "I'll be back shortly, maybe in two hours or so."

"You better be. You had me worried sick."

"Sorry." There seemed to be no better word than that.

"Oh, by the way, your boss called. Someone by the name of James-no wait that's not right…But I know his name starts with J…"

"Was it Jerry?" Sam's head shot up at the name of the head of W.O.O.H.P. She eyed Tim in question, but he signalled with his hands that he would explain to her later.

"Ah yes, Jerry. That's his name. Anyway, he called early this morning looking for you."

"I see. Did he leave a contact number?"

"No he didn't. But I'll be sure to let him know you'll be coming back in a while if he calls again."

"Alright. Thanks Aunt Lorraine. See you later."

Tim hung up the phone. "Jerry called." He whispered quickly to Sam. "He was looking for me. We got to get in touch with him ASAP. Perhaps a payphone or something…"

Sam nodded in agreement, choosing not to mention that they did not have a single cent on them currently. Both of them downed the rest of the drinks that Mrs Walters had kindly offered them.

"Now, are you two off to the nearest town? I can get my son to give you a lift there." Mrs Walters finished washing the dishes and addressed the couple.

"Oh, there's no need to bother madam-" Tim began.

"Oh nonsense, he's heading to town anyway to run errands too I believe. Byron!" Mrs Walters hollered out of the kitchen door. There was a shout in reply, and then footsteps.

"Thank you Mrs Walters." Sam took the middle age woman's hands in hers and squeezed them in gratitude. _Oh, the beauty of humanity._ Sam smiled.

Five minutes later, the duo were seated in the backseat of a red pickup truck. Mrs Walter's son Byron was at the driver's seat. He was a polite and charming young man that clearly took after his mother, both in looks and demeanour. He looked about three to five years older than Sam was.

"To town right?"

"Actually…Can you tell us how far away we are from this address?" Tim recited the address from memory, a plan already forming in his mind.

"Oh, that's just ten minutes outside of town. Is that where you intend to go? I can drop you two off there." Byron Walters said easily.

"That would be great, thank you." Sam replied. The couple shared a look full of gratefulness and relief.

* * *

**What do you guys think? We're getting closer to the end of the story; I'm envisioning about 12 chapters or so! **

**Thank you all so much for your reviews and kind words, they mean a lot! **

**Till next chapter, **

**TrixieNancy**


	9. Chapter 9

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 9

* * *

**2.45pm, Unknown Dumpster, Los Angeles **

Boogie Gus had brought him and Myrna to his white van. Once they were all settled, Myrna gave him a serious look. "I've heard about you before from the criminal grapevine Del." She began. "There are some very high praises of your technical expertise…One of the reasons why I decided to bring you as part of my team."

"Just something I dabble with in my free time." He kept his reply vague. _You don't need to know about the intensive training I've received from W.O.O.H.P Paris certainly._

"Well, we need someone to help us bust Terrence Lewis out." Boogie Gus interrupted bluntly.

"…"

"You want me to do what?" Del was sure that his eyes were as wide as saucers as his brain processed Boogie Gus' words.

"Break into W.O.O.H.P and get Terrence Lewis out." Myrna repeated, enunciating each word carefully as if talking to a child.

"But…But W.O.O.H.P's prison security is extremely tight!" Del spluttered, genuinely caught off guard by their request. His mind was on overdrive, already churning multiple scenarios and what he could do to stop this.

"We have a contact in W.O.O.H.P. He'll arrange everything for us." Boogie Gus had lowered his voice to a whisper as he tried to reassure Del. The shock was evident on Del's face as he processed the new information he had been given. Emotions clouded his face only for a moment, before he forcefully pushed them to the back of his mind.

"What do you need me to do exactly?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"See, I told you he'll be okay." Myrna murmured to Boogie Gus, before turning to face him. "Now, here's what we have in mind…"

* * *

**Meanwhile… **

**2.55pm, Abandoned Warehouse, San Diego. **

"This is the place." Tim commented, as he caught sight of the abandoned warehouse just up ahead.

"Are you sure you two want to go there?" Bryon Walters was uneasy. "No one has ever come here in months ever since the shipping company shut down."

"I parked my car just around the corner near the entrance of the warehouse." Tim said simply. His tone hinted that the man shouldn't pursue matters further.

"Sure you don't want to change your mind?"

Tim shook his head in mild amusement at the young man's nervousness.

Bryon Walters shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"I think we can walk over from here. We've already taken long enough of your time. Thank you so much Bryon." Sam spoke up from her place next to Tim and moved to open the door of the red pick up.

"Don't mention it. Be careful." Bryon Walters tipped his cap towards them.

As they watched the red pick-up drive away in the distance, Tim gestured ahead. "Shall we?"

"Let's go." Sam replied. She was feeling refresh and full of renewed hope and vigour, thanks to Mrs Walters' hospitality.

The duo moved quickly and stealthily under the cover of the surrounding greenery. Sam was in front, focused and alert.

"Don't look now, but there is a black car parked towards your right." Tim's voice came suddenly next to her ear. He had a hand on the small of her back and was edging her forward. She inhaled sharply, but otherwise kept moving.

"Can you see who's in it?" She whispered.

"Negative. It's quite well concealed." He answered in a low tone. "No one would notice it unless you are actively looking for something from the direction we just came from."

"Well, are we gonna to risk it? What if it's part of Myrna's people?" Sam crotched amid some tall grass. Once they pass this patch of grass they were in, they would be out in the open.

"I don't know, what do you think?" Tim mimicked her position. "I couldn't see if there was someone in the car. But then again if they IS someone there, they could be on our side too." _And that would be beneficial for us. We REALLY need to get in touch with Jerry. _

The couple stayed hidden for a few minutes, debating the pros and cons. Finally, they decided to take the risk. They would make a break for it, then dive for cover by the warehouse.

"Okay on the count of three…" Sam said seriously. "One, two, THREE!"

It was a whirlwind of a blur as the pair dashed out from their cover within the grass and made a mad sprint towards the warehouse. Sam's body was on autopilot. As she ran, her subconscious registered that there didn't seem to be any noise behind her and Tim. But she didn't stop to wonder about that.

Seconds later, she was leaning against one of the external walls of the warehouse, Tim next to her. She could only hear the sound of her heart pumping, Tim's breath, and nothing else.

"The coast is clear." Tim reported.

"But we still can't rule out any possibility. W.O.O.H.P is counting on us… Come on, let's go."

Hand in hand, the pair skulked around the warehouse to where Tim had said he had parked his car. True enough, Sam spied the familiar vehicle moments later. As the duo approached it, Sam commented offhandedly, "I don't suppose you have a spare car key on you right?"

Tim suddenly stopped and completely stilled. His (lack of) expression told Sam that he hadn't considered that little detail when he had formulated the plan. Sam let out a short laugh and patted her boyfriend on the shoulder.

"How do you feel about a hole in your car door?" She fished out the laser fountain pen she had nicked from Myrna's room and twirled it around her finger.

The look of horror that crossed Tim's face only caused Sam to laugh harder.

"Come on you! You can get it fixed once we get home." She practically dragged Tim to his car, where she proceeded to use the laser fountain pen on the car door. They were in within moments.

"Do we need to hotwire your car too?" She teased, her tone light.

At that, Tim smirked. The confidence that she had always seen Tim exude was back again.

"As a matter of fact yes. Are you offering to hotwire it for me?" He raised his eyebrows at her, knowing fully well that she did not have the slightest idea how to hotwire a car. His smirk deepened when Sam's cheek flushed pink, and she wisely zipped her mouth closed.

"There are some tools I'll need inside." He gestured for Sam to open the glove box at the passenger seat. She had to rummage the items in there (including a notebook and pen, a few ziplock bags and some tissues), before she found the screwdriver, tweezers and insulation tape that he needed.

"Work your magic." She handed him the items, watching in fascination as Tim's skilled hands handled the wires confidently.

Seven minutes later, the engine rumbled, and they were off.

* * *

**3.20pm, Abandoned Warehouse, San Diego. **

"Hurry Clover! They are getting away!" Alex sprinted as if her life depended on it towards their rented vehicle. Clover was right on her heels.

The spies threw their evidence kits and the ESA in the backseat, and immediately strapped themselves in. Clover had taken the driver's seat. Determination was written all over her features. "Oh no you don't." The blonde gritted her teeth. "Hang on tight Alex!"

Clover pushed the acceleration pedal, and the car took speed, leaving a trail of dust behind.

While Clover focused her attention on catching up to the vehicle, Alex whipped out her X-Powder and speed dialled Jerry.

"Jerry! The car that we found is getting away!" She said, the moment Jerry's face came into view.

"Getting away? Oh my, didn't you girls say it was vacant?"

"Well, someone must have came along while we were checking out the warehouse." Clover replied, having heard Jerry's comment. "But don't worry Jer, I'm on their tail." She added with determination.

"Right girls. I'll call for backup and trace your location with the GPS on your X-Powder."

"Thanks Jer." Alex said.

"No problem. Be careful girls."

* * *

"Sammy, I think we may be followed." Tim was calm and collected as he drove along the stretch of road. The duo had planned to pop by Tim's aunt's home (just to say their goodbyes) before driving back to Los Angeles.

"Which one?" She replied, trying to conceal her fear in her voice as she glanced in the side mirror. They had left the sub-urban area and was back on the main road. She could see at least three cars behind her.

"The car that we saw outside the abandoned warehouse. I've noticed it on our tail ever since we left."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's always keeping a respectable distance back, but I'm sure." His voice was grim.

"So you can't see who's driving it right…? Should we try to shake them off?" She glanced at her beau. "We don't know if they are friend or foe." _So confronting them is out of the issue. Unless as a last resort. _

"Yeah, looks like that's the only way we have now." Tim answered, sighing. The tension that had barely left his shoulders was returning again. At the next intersection, Tim made a sharp turn.

* * *

"Darn it." Clover swore as the car they were tailing turned right suddenly without warning. She quickly flicked the turn signal, and barely managed to beat the traffic light. She cringed as loud car horns were directed at her.

"We're chasing someone you morons." Clover was clearly on the edge as she muttered under her breath. "The police should have given us a siren or something…"

"They may have had caught on that they are being tailed." Alex said, both to her friend and to Jerry (who was still on the line).

"Might be. I've sent reinforcements. They are coming from another direction. Hopefully we will be able to corner whoever is in the car."

On his end, Jerry felt a mixture of worry and scepticism. He knew that the car that Clover and Alex were currently tailing belonged to Tim. _But they do not know that. _His conscience reminded him. Jerry rubbed his temples as he found himself facing the dilemma that had been bugging him for the majority of the day. How closely should he guard the details of the Reformatory Program, in light of what was happening now?

Then there was the issue of WHO exactly was in Tim's car now. Guilt coursed through Jerry's veins as his mind couldn't help but entertain the notion that Tim might not be as 'reformed' as he had originally thought.

_What am I thinking? You KNOW how Tim is. You've practically witnessed all of his changes. _His heart cried out in indignant as Jerry chided himself for even thinking such things. _Focus on the task at hand. _

"There are no other cars on the road Jer." Alex reported, her eyes adverted from Jerry's and presumably looking at the road instead. "It's just us and whoever it is." They had exited the main road and was cruising through another sub-urban area.

"If they hadn't realised we're following them then, they sure will now." Clover chimed in.

"Sit tight girls. Back up is five minutes away." Jerry said, keeping an eye on his computer screen. The dots indicating the location of back up by SDPD was getting closer and closer to the moving dot of Clover and Alex's location.

_Hopefully, whoever this is, will help us get a break through in the kidnapping. _Jerry thought with his lips pursed.

* * *

"Do you keep any gadgets in your car?" The tense silence that was in the car was broken by Sam's question.

"Err yeah. I keep an Ice King Cologne in the armrest console. Don't ask." He warned with a pointed look on seeing a glimmer of mirth in his girlfriend's eyes.

"Wasn't planning to." She quipped back. Sam opened the compartment in question and easily spotted the Cologne, for it was the masculine version of the Ice Queen Perfume which she was familiar with.

"And I have a Shield Umbrella in the backseat…the last time I checked." Sam took a quick peek at the backseat but could not find the gadget Tim was talking about.

She toyed with the bottle of liquid nitrogen. "No matter. I'll just make do with what we have then. I still have the laser fountain pen."

"Yeah. It's better than nothing. Ugh, this driver is good." Tim navigated through sharp corner turns and alleyways, but the driver of the other vehicle somehow managed to keep up. He could not shake the other car off no matter how hard he tried.

"If he gets any closer, I can laser or ice spray the tires." Sam suggested, although she was secretly hoping it would not have to come to that. Good or bad, the superspy wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of this. _The less bloodshed the better. _

"Alright, another car has been stationed at the next intersection." Jerry told the girls after some minutes. "Just bring up the rear."

"Alrighto. Time to kick some baddie butt." Alex answered with determination.

Sure enough, Clover and Alex could spot a police car in the distance, which occupied the entirety of the single lane road. Two law enforcement officers were leaning against the car door, their expressions firm. The car ahead of them was about to reverse, but Clover and Alex stopped their car behind. Wedged in between, the other car had no other option but to stop.

"Let's go." Alex unstrapped her seatbelt and held on to the Windtunnel Tornado Blast Hairdryer. The duo got out of the car just in time to see the policemen approaching the car and speaking with the driver.

* * *

Sam could feel her heart thumping wildly against her ribcage as Tim had to force their car to a stop. _What was the police doing here? How did they know where to find them? Who was in the car that followed them? _The couple exchanged looks, contemplating on what to do next. Sam reached over and tangled her hand in Tim's, giving it a squeeze.

One of the officers strode over to them, lightly tapping the driver seat window. Without a word, Tim winded down the windows. "What is going on sir?" He asked, while trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

"Just a routine check. Could I see your driver's license please?"

While Tim hemmed and hawed (because really his driver's license had been taken away by Myrna when he was kidnapped), Sam rested her gaze on the side view mirror. When she saw red and yellow catsuits approaching, it was as if a switch had been triggered.

Without a second thought, Sam unbuckled her seatbelt and whipped the car door open. She stepped out. "Clover, Alex!"

"Sammy!" It took only a split second for the two superspies to recognise the reddish tint of hair belonging to their friend. The girls ran towards one another, and embraced.

"Sammy, thank goodness your okay." Alex cried in relief as she broke the hug. Her friend was still dressed in her pajamas, with a trench coat over it. She looked physically frazzled with dirt and sweat on her face, and there were signs of dark eye circles, but Sam was otherwise alive and well.

"We were worried sick." Clover added on, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. All of the blonde's emotions crashed upon her like waves crashing on the shore.

"I'm so glad to see you girls." Sam whispered, allowing a stray tear to drop. After 36 hours of hell and consistent worry, she finally felt truly secure and safe upon seeing her friends. Away from danger at last.

"What happened to you? Why are you here?" Once the initial hype of their reunion had died down, Alex had put forth the questions that were at the forefront of her mind. Her questions was answered when they heard loud, indignant protests coming from the car that Sam had been in. Moments later, a tall man with a head of short, brown hair, emerged from the driver's side of the vehicle.

Twin gasps were heard from Clover and Alex as they realised that they recognised the man. It was Tim Scam. What was he doing out of prison? Clover saw red immediately.

"I should have known it would be you." Ignoring Sam's hand on her arm that was tugging her back, Clover marched over to where Tim Scam stood in between the two law enforcement officers.

Tim whirled his head in surprise when he caught sight of the blonde superspy. He had been aware that Sam had left the car, but he had been in the middle of explaining why he did not have his license on hand to the law enforcement officers.

"You kidnap Sammy to get revenge didn't you? Admit it Tim Scam!" Clover pointed a finger accusingly at him as she glared daggers at him. "I should have known you would be the mastermind behind all of this."

"I don't know what you are going on about." Tim resorted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"That's a lie, and we all know it." Clover shot back, clearly riled up. She turned to look at the officers. "Officers, arrest him. He's a criminal mastermind!"

"No don't! Clover, you're making a big mistake!" By then, Sam and Alex were already next to Clover and Tim. Sam's protest had Alex raising an eyebrow, though she didn't say a word. However, the athletic superspy was also eyeing Tim Scam with wariness.

"Open your eyes Sammy! It's Tim Scam! Officers, arrest him!" Clover turned to Sam in exasperation. The two officers were clearly at a lost of what to do, confused by the situation. Frustrated, Clover whipped out her W.O.O.H.P badge. "I'm telling you. He's a master criminal. Arrest him or he'll get away! Back me up here Alex!"

Up to then, Alex had stood silently watching the whole scene unravel. But she nodded her head curtly towards the officers. "She's right. He is a master criminal." However, Alex couldn't help but notice the pain that was reflected in Sam's eyes at her words.

"Clover, Alex! Tim did not kidnap me! He's not part of any of this!" Sam could not believe this was happening. She felt her knees go weak as the two officers cuffed Tim's arms behind his back. However, her pleas to Clover only fell on deaf ears.

"Just listen to what you are saying Sammy! It's only been a day! What kind of sorcery did HE use on you? You're clearly suffering from Stockholm's Syndrome!" Was Clover's quick reply.

"He wasn't part of this! It's Myrna! Myrna Beesbottom! She's the mastermind!" Sam was borderline hysterical now, her desperate emerald eyes locking with the sea foamed eyes of her beloved. He was cuffed, and his body trapped between the hood of his car and the two officers behind him. Tim's face was expressionless, but his eyes shone with love and concern. _This could not be happening._ Not when they had just escaped Myrna's clutches, and not when there was still W.O.O.H.P that needed saving and warning.

"If she is, then he's working for her. They were partners in the LAMOS, once upon a time too! And I bet that hasn't change a bit!" Clover said, her past altercations with Tim clouding her judgement. Sam recoiled visibility at her friend's statement.

Alex decided that she had to cut in before things got out of hand. "I'll call Jerry." She spoke firmly. "I think you should sit down somewhere Sammy, to clear your head." Her friend's gentle and concern voice floated into Sam's ears.

_Yes, yes, Jerry will be able to clear this up. _Numbly, Sam allowed herself to be escorted to the car that Clover and Alex had driven over in, and sat in the passenger seat with a bottle of water in her hand.

Clover was still glaring at Tim Scam with her baby blues even after Alex returned after making a quick phone call to their boss.

"Jerry's taking a jet down pronto." The athletic superspy told her friend. Clover nodded stiffly.

"Come on Clover. You should get some air." Alex could practically feel the anger radiating off her friend. Clover wasn't thinking straight now, and Alex didn't want her friend to do anything she would regret later on. Especially since Jerry was on the way. Alex wasn't fully convinced that Tim was good, but neither did she feel that Sam was delusional either.

Clover shrugged off Alex's concerned hand on her shoulder. "I'm keeping my eye on you." Clover hissed at the man, before stalking off in the opposite direction Sam was in. After darting glances between her two best friends, Alex sighed before moving to follow Clover.

Tim didn't say a word as Clover and Alex left his gaze darting towards Sam every other minute. She looked lost, dazed and overwhelmed. Tim yearned to go over to her to comfort her, but his current predicament prevented that.

He didn't blame Sam's friends for having such a reaction. Tim had experienced similar reactions when he first joined the reformatory program. Agents Matt and Linda had regarded him with the same amount of spite, wariness and suspicion that Clover had directed towards him. Only Sam and Jerry had trusted him fully initially. It had taken many months before the other W.O.O.H.P agents in the Reformatory Program began to accept that he had truly changed. Tim wasn't expecting Clover and Alex to warm up to him immediately, especially since it was clear that they were still in the dark about the Reformatory Program.

But the extent of rage that had been directed towards him WAS a little scary, no doubt.

_Hopefully when Jerry comes over, he can clear up the misunderstandings. _Tim sighed heavily.

* * *

**Reunited at last! I hope I did justice to the characters haha. **

**Thanks for all the support and feedback and reviews! Always very thankful! **

**-TrixieNancy**


	10. Chapter 10

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 10

* * *

**3.50pm, San Diego. **

Clover stormed off to the side of the road, plonking herself on one of the wooden benches. She took in deep breaths of air, forcing herself to calm down. It was only then she realised that her hand was curled tight into a fist, her fingernails digging into her flesh. As her breathing came back to normal, so did some of Clover's temper.

_Why was Sam defending Tim Scam like that?_ She wondered to herself now that her head was much clearer. _Tim's a master criminal and we all know it! Could she really have Stockholm's Syndrome? _

"Hey Clover…You okay?" Alex's tentative voice cut Clover out of her musings. Clover simply sighed in reply, scooting over to give Alex some space on the bench. The athletic superspy sat down next to her friend.

"Yeah…As good as I can be I guess… I'm glad we've found Sammy and all…But Tim Scam," she shuddered at that word, "is another matter."

"I know what you mean." Alex answered, allowing her body to mold into the backrest of the bench. Casually, Alex allowed her gaze to float to the scene before her. The two law enforcement officers had Tim seated in the backseat of the police vehicle. He was still handcuffed, and both officers stood guard on either side of the door.

Alex watched with interest as Sam's head suddenly lifted and met the unwavering gaze of Tim Scam. Her redhead friend walked over to him, as if in a trance. Alex's eyes never left her friend's form as she spoke quickly to the officers, who traded looks and nodded, before moving aside. Presumably to give the duo some time alone.

"Do you think Sam's telling the truth? About Tim's involvement?" Clover was also observing the scene. The blonde felt conflicted emotions and confusion as she witnessed Tim scoot over further into the vehicle to make space for Sam to sit next to him. From this distance, she couldn't hear what the duo were saying, but their body language screamed something else other than enemies. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when Sam rested her head on Tim's shoulders.

"I don't know…She looks pretty comfortable with him, as much as I hate to admit it." Alex said, closing her eyes for a moment and heaving a deep sigh. "And we never saw him hurt her. AND Sam's even wearing his trenchcoat, now that I think about it." Alex counted off the points.

"But…How…and why? It's Tim Scam!" Clover's heart and mind couldn't wrap around what her eyes were seeing.

"I don't know Clover… I don't fully trust Tim Scam myself. Gosh we spent WEEKS and MONTHS hunting him down and throwing him in prison…." Alex trailed off. "But look at Sammy Clover…I haven't seen her so…so…contented in awhile." The dark haired superspy admitted.

"I know…" A small, sad smile came onto Clover's face as she watched her friend's tender interactions with Tim Scam. It was clear that there was something between them, something deeper than mere acquaintances. There was a hidden story there, Clover was sure of it.

"For now, let's play it by ear Clover. Overreacting won't get us anywhere." Alex encouraged, giving her friend a quick one arm hug.

"Thanks Alex." Clover's smile was warm and grateful. "You always know what to do in situations like this. I'm glad you're here." Both spies shared a hug.

* * *

**Meanwhile… **

"I'm sorry. I never thought things would turn out this way." Sam whispered, the moment she sat down next to Tim. Indeed, she had never expected that Clover's volatile nature would cause her beau to be currently handcuffed, and guarded over by policemen, as if he was some common criminal. He had put that past behind him ages ago.

"It's alright Sammy." Tim still had his hands cuffed to his back and shifted so that he could be more comfortable (or as comfortable as he could be in such a situation).

"But it's not." Her tone was fiercely protective. "You shouldn't have to go through this. You're the best agent in the Reformatory Program for goodness sakes." Sam glanced at his handcuffed hands.

"Calm down love. I'll be fine." He sent her one of his charming smiles. "Jerry will be coming over anytime. Then the truth will be out."

Sam sighed, something she had been doing very much of recently. "I hope so. Gosh, I just want to go home." She groaned, resting her head on Tim's shoulder. The adrenaline and hope that had been fuelling her all the way had left her, leaving her with both physical and emotional fatigue.

Tim said nothing, only let his head rest on hers. The couple savoured the quiet time they had together now. Because Tim had a feeling that they wouldn't have a quiet moment once Jerry came and things continued in motion.

**3.50pm, Unknown Dumpster, Los Angeles **

Del, Myrna and Boogie Gus were just wrapping up their hour long meeting when suddenly Myrna's cellphone rang. The woman picked up the device.

"Oh it's George." Myrna murmured. "I better pick this up, excuse me for a moment." Myrna slipped out of the van before answering the call.

The mention of George had Del's head shoot up. With the new revelations of the plan to bust Terrence Lewis out, Del had completely forgotten about the pills that he had dissolved in George's tea. _I hope the pills has worked… _He glanced discreetly at his watch. _The timing is about right… _

"YOU WHAT?" Both Boogie Gus and Del heard Myrna's sudden exclamation. Trading looks, the duo quickly exited the van as well. Myrna was standing a short distance away, and was now currently screaming into the phone.

"You imbecile! You only had one job! And you let them get away!" She screeched. Del concealed his triumph. Samantha Simpson and Tim Scam had gotten away! That's one less thing to worry about at least.

"Apologises don't work right now! Stay there and get the base packed up for relocation! We're coming back!" Myrna barked, before hanging up the phone. She stood still for several moments, taking deep breaths.

"Everything okay Myrna?" Boogie Gus asked.

Myrna avoided Boogie Gus's gaze and instead turned to look at Del. "That imbecile George fell asleep. When he got up, those two were gone." Her tone was bitter, the underlying fury slowly boiling to the surface.

"What!" Del feigned shock and anger. "How could he been so careless?" Boogie Gus tsked disapprovingly, but otherwise said nothing.

"They should be long gone by now." Myrna huffed in frustration. "But we better return and move base before those two tell Jerry where we are."

"I'll go start up the car." Del volunteered, before hurrying off the scene. The moment his back was turned from the two villains did he allow a small, satisfied smile to spread on his face.

* * *

**4.20pm, San Diego**

By the time Jerry arrived via a W.O.O.H.P jet forty minutes later, a small crowd of curious bystanders had gathered. Whispers and stares were directed towards the trio of superspies, the two law enforcement officers, and one handcuffed Tim Scam, who was still handcuffed in the police car. The law enforcement officers had requested for Alex to shift the rented car to the side of the road and had done the same for the other two cars.

As a cool breeze hit her, Sam wrapped Tim's trench coat tighter against herself. After Clover had significantly calmed down from her outburst, the three friends had spoken for a few moments quietly, the subject of Tim Scam and her kidnapping tactfully avoided. Alex had kindly loaned her cell phone for Sam to call her parents, whom were beyond relieved to hear that their only child was alive and well.

"I'll let you know the details later mum…" Sam said as she heard the familiar whirls of the W.O.O.H.P jet growing louder. "Jerry's here."

"Alright dear. I love you."

"Love you too mum." She smiled into the receiver, before hanging up.

In no time at all, Jerry was brisk walking over to the trio of spies, with a few other W.O.O.H.P agents behind him. Sam recognised Agent Linda from the Weapons Department along with him, whom was also one of the agents assisting in the Reformatory Program.

"Sam…Thank goodness." Jerry surprised Sam by engulfing her into a quick hug. "You alright?"

"I'm fine Jer…It's good to see you too." Once Jerry broke the hug, Agent Linda gave Sam an embrace of her own too.

"I'm glad you're alright dearie." The older woman said. Sam smiled and nodded slowly. The two women had bonded through their involvement in the Reformatory Program, and Linda saw Sam like a younger cousin.

"Jerry…Tim…he's-" Lost for words, Sam gestured to her boyfriend who was watching them from the closed doors of the police car. Jerry followed her gaze. "Oh my…" He trailed off, when he saw the cuffs adorned on Tim's wrist. He immediately walked over to the two law enforcement officers.

Clover and Alex kept their eyes on Jerry while he spoke to the two officers. Moments later, they watched with both horror and bewilderment as one of the officers uncuffed Tim. Jerry stepped up, shook his hand, before patting his back.

"Why are they releasing him?" Clover asked incredulously, eyeing Jerry as if he was crazy. She had thought that Jerry would see the light of day, would command that Tim Scam be escorted back into prison…Why were they releasing him, and speaking with him so casually?

"I don't know." Alex whispered back. Her whole body was frozen. She felt as if she was in a nightmare.

"He's changed for the better." Suddenly, Agent Linda's voice reached their ears. Numbly, both spies turned their heads to look at the older woman, who was eyeing the scene with a tender look.

"It's true. I've seen it for myself." The woman continued, still not looking at them. "And I think I now just why a man like Tim Scam decided to change." She smiled knowingly. At that exact moment, Sam and Tim Scam were hugging each other tightly. Even when the hug broke, Tim always kept an arm encircled around the redhead's waist.

"I don't understand…" Clover was truly lost for words now. All the facts were pointing to only one conclusion, but yet the superspy couldn't bring herself to accept that it might be true.

"Open your heart girls. He's different now. Trust me." With those parting words, Agent Linda left their side to join Sam, Jerry and Tim Scam.

A strange, foreign feeling crept up onto Alex. She hadn't felt this way in awhile. It was like she was an outsider looking in. It was obvious that Sam, Tim Scam, Jerry and even Agent Linda were in on some sort of secret that she and Clover were in the dark about. And that revelation had caused betrayal and jealously churning in the pit of her stomach. From the look on Clover's face, it appeared she felt the same way as well.

Did Jerry not trust them enough? Or were they simply not as competent as Sam was? Fears and doubts crept up on them.

When Jerry finally crossed the short distance to talk to his two other superspies, he was met with twin glares and closed off body languages from Clover and Alex. The head of W.O.O.H.P sighed.

"I'll explain everything in the jet ladies. I promise." He told them. Their wary looks never subsided, but the two spies nodded nonetheless.

Minutes later, with all the administrative details of Tim's and Clover's rented car sorted out, everyone boarded the W.O.O.H.P jet.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

"That imbecile." Myrna was still fuming mad. "He only had one simple job. One job. And he let them get away!"

Del remained silent, giving Myrna the space she needed to rant. They were en route back to San Diego, driving dangerously close to the speed limit. Myrna was restless and kept asking him to drive faster. Both of them knew that they were racing against the clock to collect their notes and belongings and move bases before W.O.O.H.P stomped theirs.

"This just puts a huge damper on our plans." Myrna grumbled, before falling silent.

Del cleared his throat before he spoke. "What now though Myrna? With those two gone, we don't have the leverage to get the Evapoblaster plans or the ray guns."

"We'll just have to go with Plan B then." Myrna replied.

"Plan B? What's Plan B?" He tried not to sound too curious.

"Why are you asking so much?" Myrna glanced at him with a suspicious eye. "You'll find out in time." The subsequent silence in the car was broken by one final musing she had.

"The real question is HOW did those two escape?"

Del swallowed nervously, but kept his eyes focused on the road.

* * *

**4.30pm, W.O.O.H.P Jet, San Diego.**

Clover and Alex sat on armchairs along the same row in the jet, their emotions in turmoil. Aware of her friends' feelings, Sam sat with Agent Linda directly across from the duo. That left Jerry and Tim to take the seats right at the front.

"Alright, someone better start talking." Clover burst out once the jet had taken flight. "Alex and I are clearly in the dark." She eyed the others on the jet in turn, but her glare was mainly channelled towards her boss.

Jerry sighed, knowing that it was time to let the cat out of the bag. There was so much to update Alex and Clover on that he didn't know where to even begin. "Tim is part of W.O.O.H.P's Reformatory Program."

"W.O.O.H.P's Reformatory Program?" Alex repeated, testing the words on her lips.

"Explain." Clover demanded tersely, tapping her feet impatiently.

"It is what it is. It's a pilot program to reform, change and integrate repentant criminals." Jerry elaborated quickly.

"And he's part of it?" Clover casted a distasteful look at Tim, who had quite enough of Clover's verbal assaults.

"I have you know I'm one of the best Reformed Agents." He raised his head in challenge at Clover.

"Why you!" Her pride ruffled, it took all of Clover's will not to unbuckle her seatbelt and confront Tim Scam there and then.

"Someone's ego hasn't changed…" Alex mumbled under her breath as she moved to place a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. She was still sceptical, but keeping a cooler head compared to Clover. "How can you be so sure that he's really changed Jer?"

"Trust me Alex, he is. I promise." This time, it was Sam that spoke up.

In an instant, Clover's face had whipped over to face Sam. "You knew all this time?" Betrayal was evident in her voice. Sam bit her lip and avoided the question, unsure of how to respond.

"I recruited her in." Jerry interjected, aware of the building tension in the aircraft. "And we all signed a written agreement to not tell."

"You could have told us." Alex's statement was directed at both her boss and her friend. "We would have kept it a secret. And we could have helped!" She admonished, the tone in her words conveying all the disappointment, sadness and betrayal she felt.

"It took all my willpower not to tell you girls." Sam admitted quietly.

"And I debated many a times whether I should have recruited all of you in…But it's a pilot program and we weren't sure of how it would turn out. I didn't want all of my spies in on it should it backfire." Jerry added. "Rest assured that I believe in the potential that all of you have."

"If all these didn't happen, would you have told us about it?" Alex asked her next question.

"Absolutely. Once it has passed the pilot phase." Alex nodded at Jerry's reply.

Clover calmed down a bit on hearing the explanations. "So he's trustworthy?"

"I swear on my life." Jerry's tone was solemn and sincere that Sam's heart soared. Tim's felt his heart skip a beat as well at Jerry's immediate response to Clover's question. His heart felt full and warm.

Clover nodded slowly. "I still don't like it, and I'll be keeping an eye on you." The blonde spy warned, giving Tim a look. Her blue eyes still glimmered with mistrust, but at least the angry fire had simmered.

"Fair enough." Tim replied, leaning against the backrest. His gaze met Alex's, and the last spy gave him a small, curt smile. Alex wasn't sure either, but if Agent Linda, Sam and Jerry said Tim Scam has changed, she would believe them. But like Clover, she would have to see things for herself to really believe it.

"Thanks girls." Sam's smile was genuinely relieved.

"You're still not let off the hook yet." Clover warned, but there was a small sparkle in her eye. "But I'm just glad we have our Sammy back." _Tim Scam is just a side accompaniment we have to deal with. _

"Alright, now that the elephant in the room has been appeased," Agent Linda spoke up. "We need to decide on our next course of action."

"What exactly happened to you Sammy? And how come Scam was with you?" Alex reached over to squeezed her best friend's hand.

Sam and Tim shared a look, with the latter gesturing for her to continue. With the help from one another, the duo filled the group in on everything that had transpired.

"Myrna…I expected her to go back on her old ways but I never expected her to be so bold as to kidnap a superspy…" Jerry mused once they were brought up to speed.

"Neither did I." Tim added. Among the group, he knew Myrna the best because of their shared history in the LAMOS. Even he had been surprised of what Myrna could do, given the right motivations.

Jerry also shared with the group on the mysterious message he had received, and the kidnapper's demands.

"That message would be from Del." Tim confirmed. "He told us that he got in contact with you."

"Yes. And I spoke to his boss from W.O.O.H.P Paris as well. Apparently some of the hairs you girls lifted in the vehicle that kidnapped Sam triggered their security system."

"Wait a minute, you found the car?" This time it was Sam that spoke. Alex and Clover nodded, and filled in the blanks on what they had been doing since they realised Sam had been missing.

"You guys have been busy." Ignoring protocol, Sam unbuckled her seatbelt and went over to her friends. "But you guys are the best." She threw an arm over each of their shoulders and squeezed to show her appreciation. "Thank you."

Alex smiled, standing up and hugging her friend. "You would have done the same if it was either of us."

"Yeah Sammy, can't shake us away that easily." Clover chimed in, before joining in the group hug.

The tension between the girls broken, they began whispering among one another. Jerry smiled the first sincere smile in 36 hours. "I'll put out a BOLO for Myrna's arrest. We've already done so for George Akkay. And don't worry," Jerry added when he saw that Sam and Tim were about to open their mouths to say something, "I'll make sure Del's safety and identity is protected and kept a secret as best as I can."

Sam turned towards Jerry just as something clicked in her mind. "If you ever need any evidence to convince the board of anything…" She dug into the pockets of Tim's trench coat before fishing out a small micro SD card.

"I nicked this from Myrna's CCTV." She handed it over to Jerry.

"Do I even wanna know?" Jerry raised an eyebrow as he turned the micro SD card in his hand. Sam caught Tim's eye, who was sporting small smirk. No doubt he was recalling how satisfying it was to smash Myrna's video recorder into bits.

Sam tried to hide a similar smirk of her own. "I don't think so. But Myrna might need a new CCTV camera."

"Good!" Alex dissolved into giggles. Clover laughed, demanding for Sam to explain what she just meant. Jerry left the trio of chucking girls and went into a private room at the back of the jet. Tim followed his boss silently.

* * *

"I assume we're going straight back to HQ Jer?" Once the door had closed behind them, Tim spoke.

"Yes we are. Anything I can help you with?"

"I'll like to call my Aunt Lorraine again Jerry…I spoke to her at the Walters' farmhouse, and I kinda hinted for her to be expecting me. I never expected all of this to happen."

"Of course! I'm sorry, I never asked where you were going." Jerry recovered quickly and handed Tim his W.O.O.H.P phone. The head of W.O.O.H.P made a mental note to disable Tim's W.O.O.H.P phone immediately when they touched down. _Don't want any unfortunate accidents or misunderstandings. _

"It's alright Jer. I understand." Tim accepted the phone gratefully.

"When all this is over Tim, I'll give you a week off." Jerry promised.

"Thanks Jerry, it means a lot." Tim returned Jerry's smile, before the head of W.O.O.H.P stepped aside to allow Tim to make his phone call.

* * *

**Thoughts on the chapter? More drama coming up as we build to the ending of the story!**

**Thank you all for your support on this story, I'm always happy to read your reviews!**

**-TrixieNancy**


	11. Chapter 11

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 11

* * *

**6.15pm, Hidden Base, San Diego**

Almost two and a half hours of non-stop driving later, Del and Myrna reached their hidden base in San Diego. Myrna wasted no time, rushing into the house, intending on giving George a piece of her mind.

"You idiot!" As he entered the house behind her, Del found himself wincing. Myrna's shouts, although coming from the basement, were echoing through the building. He had never envy George Akkay, and that certainly wasn't changing now. It sounds like George was getting a real earful.

Tuning out the screaming and shouting, Del made his way to his room to pack his things. Myrna had given him a cap of fifteen minutes. Plus, he still had a very interesting text message to send to Jerry Lewis…

Ten minutes after, Del emerged from the closed doors of his rooms. His essentials had already been packed into a duffle. The stuff that he couldn't let anyone see concealed upon his person, and a handgun loaded and placed in the holster at his hip.

The moment he stepped out, Del recoiled back. Standing right outside his door was George, his grey orbs staring intensely at him. Shock registered on Del's face for an instant, but he schooled his expression quickly. George's face was grim, but otherwise, looked physically okay. Thankfully Myrna wasn't the violent type.

"Can I help you George?" He asked, keeping his tone light.

"As a matter of fact yes." George's voice dropped to a harsh whisper as he took one more step forward. "I never drink when I'm on the job, you and I both know that." An anger line was starting to form on George's forehead.

"The only logical explanation I can think of would be that I was spiked… But the only thing I drank was the tea you brought me. And my food never left my sight." George glared accusingly at Del. "I think you did something."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Del answered, attempting to sidestep George.

His stockier companion surprised him by grabbing the front of his shirt. "I got my eye on you Del. One more funny move, and you're dead."

"Is that a threat?" Del stood his ground.

"You better believe it is." The other man growled. Just as sudden as he appeared, George dropped his grip on his shirt, before stalking away.

Del stood rooted for a moment to calm his breathing. He thanked his lucky stars that George didn't out right accuse him of having a hand in Tim and Sam's escape. _Hopefully, he kept his doubts to himself and didn't share them with Myrna. But he's getting suspicious…I gotta be more careful…and watch my back._

* * *

**7.00pm, W.O.O.H.P HQ, Meeting Room. **

"Samantha. Good to see you." Agent Matt greeted her warmly as Sam walked into the meeting room with her friends in tow.

"Hello, Agent Matt., Likewise." Sam smiled tiredly. He was the only one thus far in the meeting room.

"And Clover and Alex too." Agent Matt nodded politely in their direction.

Alex and Clover greeted their W.O.O.H.P colleague in return. They were not as close to Agent Matt as Sam was, but nonetheless still recognised and respected him one of their own.

Sam sank herself in one of the meeting chairs with a relieved sigh. It had been a really long day. After touching down in Los Angeles, she had barely any time to freshen up and don her comfortable green spysuit before she had been whisked away to have her statement taken by W.O.O.H.P agents. The girls were planning on going for a good dinner, but Jerry had called an urgent meeting that they all had to attend. And now she was here, with a growing headache and practically zero energy left. She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping to harness some energy to get her through this meeting.

"Hello Jerry, Linda, Tim." A few minutes later, she heard Alex greeted easily. Her eyes snapped open the moment she heard the name of her beau. She hadn't seen him since they had been forcefully separated to have their statements taken. Emerald eyes locked in with sea foamed eyes immediately, and Sam found herself smiling despite her fatigue.

While greetings were exchanged all around the table, Tim's gaze never left Sam's. With a silent look, he took the seat directly opposite hers. She was clearly exhausted, but still radiated beauty to his eyes. _She's been through the past 40 hours in turmoil. God...I hope this meeting's short._ Tim's hand was itching to reach for hers to provide her some warmth and comfort, but he held back.

"Help yourselves to any drinks everyone." Tim heard Jerry announce. "Our meeting will begin in five minutes. Without a word, Tim walked over to the back of the room where all the beverages were.

"Sammy you okay?" Clover's voice came from her right side. The object of her affections out of her line of sight, Sam turned to her friend and managed a small smile. "Just tired Clover. It's been a long day."

"Tell me about it." Alex sighed, having overheard Sam's comment. Her dark-haired friend was practically slumped on the table. "I'm spent."

"Same here…I'm gonna get some drinks, anyone want anything?" Both of her friends declined the offer. Clover stood up and turned around, nearly bumping into someone. Clover tried not to stiffen when she realised that it was Tim, carrying a Styrofoam cup.

"Sorry." Clover mumbled, before excusing herself. Although Jerry had pulled them aside for a long talk about Tim's reformed status earlier, old habits still died hard. It would take a while before she would truly accept that Tim Scam had turned over a new leaf.

Tim didn't appear fazed. Alex watched with interest as he placed the cup in his hand on the desk in front of Sam.

"Tea with a teaspoon of sugar." He said.

Sam's eyes widen with surprise and gratefulness as she accepted the drink.

"You remembered how I like my tea." She answered softly.

"Of course I do." His reply was sincere and his look was so intense that it sent shivers down her spine.

"Thank you." She smiled, reaching over to squeeze his hand. Tim's eyes glazed over, and on impulse, he dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. "Anything for you." He murmured into her hair.

Sam found her cheeks turning pink at his words, swatting his arm before lowering her gaze in embarrassment. Tim couldn't help smirking slightly as he walked back to his seat.

Alex watched the exchange with interest at the corner of her eye with raised eyebrows. If she wasn't sure what her friend's relationship with Tim Scam was before, she had a clear inkling now. The fact that Tim Scam kept tabs on how Sammy liked her tea spoke volumes about their relationship. And how he had taken the initiative to get her some refreshments, her tender touches on his hand and his sweet forehead kiss. The couple's sweet gestures only solidified Alex's judgement of their dedication for each other. It didn't take much to convince Alex, and just by watching the pair for a few moments, Alex was already convinced that the pair were in love.

_Now only to convince Clover…_

At the front of the conference room, Jerry cleared his throat, getting the attention of the other W.O.O.H.P agents. It took a few moments for everyone to settle down. Jerry stood at the head of the table.

"Thank you all for coming. I know it's getting late. But I wouldn't have called for this meeting if it could wait." The head of W.O.O.H.P began. He looked at each of them in turn to convey his gratitude of their presence.

"Has there been new developments Jer?" It was Sam started the ball rolling.

"As a matter of fact yes. I've received a text message from Del about an hour ago." The moment the name of the undercover agent was mentioned, Sam and Tim's heads turned to each other. Del had done a lot for them, and they were forever in his debt. Was his news good news?

With the help of the projector, Jerry showed the contents of the text message on the projector screen.

**They've escaped. BOLO. New plan to bust the boss. Look closer to home for clues on how. **

"I tried to contact Del to get him to elaborate, but he told me it was inconvenient to talk, and will contact us when he can."

Agent Matt stared at the screen thoughtfully. "Who's the boss?"

At that Jerry sighed. "Tim was with me when I received this text message from Del. We came to the same conclusion immediately…Terrence Lewis."

Gasps were the only response.

"That makes sense." Clover mused. "Myrna has a direct connection to Terrence through the LAMOS. And he was the ringleader."

"Right." Jerry agreed, before nodding to Tim. The reformed agent returned the gesture before turning to the group.

"We did some further digging. Boogie Gus was released a year ago. And Helga is scheduled to be out two weeks from now. Terrence on the other hand has a life long sentence." Tim said.

"Are you trying to say that they're trying to bring back the LAMOS?" Sam spoke, having picking up the train of thought.

"It's a possibility." Her beau agreed. "That's the best angle we can think of for now. It is also a possibility that Boogie Gus might already be working with them."

"Alright then, assuming that it is true…What does Del mean by look closer to home for clues?" Alex asked.

"He means there's a traitor among us…" Connecting the dots, Sam suddenly realised. "That's probably how they'll bust Terrence out." She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of someone in W.O.O.H.P, someone she probably saw regularly, betraying them.

"A traitor? Are you sure?" Both Agent Linda and Alex were reeling in shock.

"We believe that's what it means yes." Jerry addressed everyone, his face grim. "We need to be extremely careful on who we trust from now on. So whatever we say cannot leave this room. No one must know that we know there's a spy, or that they are targeting W.O.O.H.P."

* * *

The meeting went on for an hour. Multiple theories and topics were discussed, and a common consensus reached, before it adjourned.

"We're not sure what is Myrna's next move, whether or not she'll still ask for the guns and the Evapoblaster plans. But be on your toes everyone. I'll call for another meeting if there are any updates. Have a good rest everyone."

Agent Linda and Matt bid the group good night and left first. When Jerry was done packing his things, he turned to Tim and the remaining three spies. "Have an early night everyone. Especially you two," he eyed Tim and Sam. "I'll expect you both to report back to your duties tomorrow morning." Although his voice was firm, it was laced with fatherly protectiveness.

The couple nodded in unison. "Got it. Goodnight Jerry." Tim spoke for them both.

"Goodnight Jerry." Alex and Clover called out.

"Goodnight everyone." Jerry smiled at the four of them, before exiting the room.

An awkward silence filled the air. Alex noted that Tim and Sam kept glancing at each other. She was about to drag Clover away so that the couple could have some time alone when Clover spoke up.

"We'll give you two a minute. Goodnight Tim."

Tim appeared just as surprised as Alex was at her friend's courteous words. "Goodnight Clover, Alex."

"Come on Alex." The athletic superspy didn't have to be told twice, and practically skipped over to her friend. The couple watched Clover and Alex disappear around the corner with some amusement. Once satisfied they were alone, Tim turned to Sam.

Wordlessly, he opened his arms. She wasted no time crossing the small distance between them and allowed herself to be swept into a hug. She could feel the firmness of his arms, the warmth of his chest and regular beating of his heart. As Sam nestled in his hold, she found herself counting her blessings that not only did she have supportive friends, family and boss, but also had an amazing boyfriend.

"Do you think Del's okay?" She mumbles into his chest. It was a thought that had been bugging her since the start of the meeting. Del had risked a lot, and Sam didn't want any harm to come to him.

"I think he should be fine Sammy." Tim answered seriously. Normally, he would make a joke of how his girlfriend was more concerned about another man, but he knew this wasn't the moment nor time. Besides, he understood where Sam was coming from, for he was worried for Del too. Del's self-sacrificial nature was something admirable, and he had earned Tim's respect through his actions. "He did manage to send a text to Jerry did he not? Besides, he's well trained in this kind of thing."

"Yeah I guess you're right." Sam broke the hug to look at Tim fully. "Sorry, I think the day is getting to me."

"Then you better get a good rest tonight." He replied easily, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"I will…Thanks for everything Tim. I'm really thankful to have you in my life." She gazed into his eyes, leaning into his touch.

"Me too love, me too." He answered, his look tender as he leaned in. Their lips met in a sweet kiss. Sam allowed herself to drop whatever worries she had, and just enjoy the moment with her beau.

"Sleep tight Tim. I'll call you in the morning." She murmured when they broke apart.

She was rewarded with a smirk and a nod. "Night love."

Sending him one last smile, Sam broke into a slight jog to catch up with her friends.

* * *

**10.40pm, Spies Villa, Living Room. **

"Mum I'm fine." Sam couldn't help but roll her eyes as she conversed with her mother over the phone. The redhead walked around the living, holding her mobile phone in one hand, and towelling her hair dry in the other. Clover and Alex were both lounging on the couch, having also showered and were simply relaxing.

"Well, you got kidnapped dear. I think I have the right to be worried." Gabriella Simpson said matter of factly. "Sure you don't want to come over and stay with us until it all boils down?"

"Mum! I'm fine. I'm a W.O.O.H.P superspy remember?"

Gabriella Simpson scoffed. "And look where that got you?"

"Mum! Stop fussing. I'll be fine. We've locked all the doors and windows and everything." Sam was close to throwing her hands up in exasperation. Before she could say another word, her phone was plucked out of her hands.

"Hey Mrs Simpson! Don't worry, we'll be by Sam's side every moment." Clover said chirpily as she talked to Gabriella Simpson. "Besides, it's a rather good excuse for a sleepover party in Sam's room."

At first, Sam was annoyed that her friend would just cut in like that, but seconds later, she felt relieved and fatigue wash over her. She really didn't have the energy to sway her mother's opinions right now. And Clover was doing a good job in sweet-talking her overly worried mother. Gratefully, Sam flopped on the couch.

Clover and Gabriella Simpson exchanged a few more words, before the latter was convinced to hang up the call.

"Thanks Clover." Sam told her friend when she was handed her mobile. She barely moved from her position on the couch. "With my mum, I constantly find myself in a losing battle."

"You're not the only one." Alex chimed in, shuddering as she thought of how protective her own mother could get.

"All in a day's work…Although…" The blonde suddenly grabbed a cushion that was on the couch. In one motion, the cushion was swung into Sam's side, delivering a soft, but surprising blow.

"Hey…What?" Instincts kicked in and Sam shielded herself from the soft blows as best as she could.

"You have some explaining to do." Clover demanded. Another whack with the pillow. "Keeping such a huge secret like the Reformatory Program." Alex had taken a pillow of her own as well, and mimicked Clover's actions.

"Lying about where you go every time you have a meeting,"

"Telling us you were working on a school project,"

"And not telling us that you have gotten a boyfriend!"

"Are we your friends or not?"

By then, Sam was already begging for mercy as whacks of the pillows came from multiple directions. "I'm sorry okay girls? I'm sorry!"

Alex and Clover stopped. "What do you think Clover? Should we accept her apology?" Alex cocked her head in the blonde's direction. There was a twinkle of mirth in her eyes.

Clover made a show of pretending to think things through for a moment. "I think we can make an exception, just this once."

Alex agreed. "But I think she needs some kind of reminder that such things can't happen again."

Sam watched with some fear as her friends nodded, before launching towards her. The redhead found herself assaulted with tickles. _One thing bad about having friends that have known you for years; they know your weak spots. _

"St-Stop girls! P-Pl-Please! Mercy!" Sam spluttered between laughs and giggles as her friends tickled her mercilessly.

It was only when Sam became out of breath with laughter did the other two stopped, declaring Sam's punishment over. The trio of friends sprawled on the couch, catching their breaths.

"Sammy…Does he treat you well?" Alex broke the comfortable silence with a question. They all knew who Alex was referring to.

Without missing a beat, Sam nodded her head. She smiled to herself as memories of Tim's consideration and sweet actions from the past few days flooded into her mind. Of him giving her his coat, his reassurance that things will be okay, his kisses…His presence alone was enough to make Sam giddy with happiness.

"I'm glad." Clover spoke next, lying on her back. "I'll be honest…I don't trust him fully yet Sammy. But it certainly looks like he's smitten with you." A smirk came onto her face. "And you gotta admit…he's pretty hot."

"Clover!" Sam swatted her friend playfully.

"Just saying!"

Alex sighed, both with relief and tiredness. She was glad everything was back to normal. For now at least.

* * *

**12.00am, Unknown Location, San Diego. **

Myrna had, apparently, rented an apartment using her false identity. Without anywhere else to go (because George's home was apparently watched heavily by the police), the apartment now served as their temporary base.

Del had made the phone call in his room once he was sure the occupants in the house were asleep. He now knew so much more information compared to at the start of the day, the most prominent being the plan to break Terrance Lewis out of prison. _How much can I sacrifice my role as an undercover agent to do what's right?_ He needed to confer with his actual boss (in W.O.O.H.P Paris) on what to do next.

"Hello Sean…"

* * *

**The end is near! I'm now envisioning 13 chapters with an epilogue, so we're very close! Thank you all for your reviews as always, they make me smile all the time. **

**For those anonymous reviews, I'm sorry I can't reply to them personally, but I definitely appreciate them! It means a lot to hear feedback from you guys. **

**-TrixieNancy**


	12. Chapter 12

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 12

* * *

**7.15am, Jerry's Home. **

Jerry woke up the next morning feeling refreshed, and ready to conquer whatever obstacles life threw at him. The safe return of Sam and Tim had really taken a huge load off his mind. _I'm getting too old for such roller-coasters of events. _He sighed.

After refreshing himself, the first thing that Jerry did was to check the mobile devices he had. He had brought the burner phone (that had been delivered to W.O.O.H.P the day before) home with him, so had three devices sitting on his dresser. One eyebrow quirked up when he noticed there was a new message.

**Drop off the three ray guns and the Evapoblaster blueprint plans at 11:00pm tonight. Only you. No police. Drive a pure black van. More instructions will come tonight. **

An address was listed below.

_What kind of game is Myrna playing right now? _Jerry thought incredulously. Did she really not know that Sam and Tim had escaped? Or was she just grasping at straws and trying her luck? Whatever it was, Jerry wasn't going to test it. This could be the one chance to catch Myrna in the act and put her back in prison.

He quickly typed a reply. **Noted. **

Once he had clicked 'send', Jerry straightened up. Looks like it was time to call for another meeting again.

* * *

**8.10am, Myrna's Rented Apartment, San Diego. **

The plan was a good one, Del had to admit. Over a takeout breakfast (purchased by him, because there was BOLO out for both Myrna and George now), Myrna had explained the new plan step by step.

George and Boogie Gus were going to meet with Jerry that night to do the supposed exchange. Myrna was confident that Jerry wouldn't leave himself vulnerable without protection. It was very likely that his group of spies would be with him, hidden in the shadows somewhere. The plan was banking on the fact that all attention would be on the meeting…which would leave W.O.O.H.P vulnerable.

While that takes place, Myrna and Del would head to W.O.O.H.P HQ, where their contact would be waiting to let them in. There, they would bust Terrence Lewis out, and be out before Jerry or his other spies had any inkling.

It was a good plan, one that was likely to succeed. _Unless you have an undercover agent amongst you. _Del sniggered. _Myrna wouldn't know what hit her. _

"You and Gus will stay hidden first. Let them think we stood them up. If they leave, then create a scene and bring them on a wild goose chase. Gus will remain behind while you do so and pick up the loot." Myrna explained to George, whom nodded. The man was itching for some action.

"Any questions? We'll be driving down to L.A in the afternoon." Both Del and George shook their heads.

* * *

**8.50am, W.O.O.H.P HQ, Los Angeles. **

As the girls finished up their late breakfast of homemade blueberry muffins, Alex's X-Powder chimed. The spy picked up the device and checked the notification.

"Meeting at 9.15. Prepare for W.O.O.H.P-ing in 10 minutes." Alex read out from the screen.

"Roger." Sam called for the kitchen as she washed the last of the dishes.

"Wow. Jerry giving us a heads up on when he'll W.O.O.H.P us? What has this world become?" Clover commented offhandedly from her seat at the island table.

Alex shrugged. "Whatever it is, I prefer it this way rather than getting suddenly W.O.O.H.P-ed." Clover and Sam agreed wholeheartedly.

The spies made quick work of preparing themselves, changing into their spy gear and making themselves presentable. At precisely nine o'clock, the girls could both feel and hear the tell-tale signs of a W.O.O.H.P-ing. It was as if the whole house was shaking, the sounds of rumbling growing more and more prominent. Seconds later, they were sucked up into a vent, before they found themselves sliding down a tunnel.

"Morning ladies." Jerry greeted when the trio landed in the usual red couch in his office.

"Morning Jerry." Clover said amicably, standing and dusting herself off. "And Tim." Her tone was more formal, but it was better than yesterday when she gave him the cold shoulder.

Sam felt herself blushing as she quickly untangled herself from the heap on the couch. The redhead stood up and greeted Jerry the same way, before her eyes landed on her beloved. He was standing off to the side, with his arms folded across his chest. His lips was curved upwards in a sideways smirk, but Sam knew him well enough to recognise the look of amusement that was in his eyes. _He certainly looks more well-rested. _Sam thought to herself, satisfied.

She crossed the room and stood in front of him. Tim's gaze never left hers. "Morning Tim." She quipped, smiling up at him, before giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Morning love." He held her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before returning the kiss, this time on her forehead. Tim would rather have given her a more…warm welcome, but he was mindful of present company and that they were in office. _Even though Jerry had practically given us his blessings, but still… _

There was a clearing of the throat. Tim and Sam tore their eyes away from each other to look at the others in the room. Sam was faintly surprised to see that Alex, Clover and Jerry were lingering right next to the glass door.

"Whenever you two love birds are ready…" Alex laughed.

Hand in hand, the couple followed the others out of the room into the conference room.

* * *

**9.15am, W.O.O.H.P HQ, Meeting Room. **

The same people who were present in the meeting the night before were at the meeting, along with another man who was part of the Reformatory Program. Jerry introduced him as Royston, a long-time friend of his that worked in one of W.O.O.H.P's associate branches.

"I know some of you might still be reeling from the news from last night. But rest assured, I trust everyone in this room with my life. I have worked with all of you for a long time, and I have faith in your characters." Jerry started the meeting by clarifying some concerns (which Clover and Royston had reasonably brought up).

The head of W.O.O.H.P had pointedly glanced at Tim while he was speaking, to make a point across. That he trusted Tim fully as well, even though his past had been rocky. (Despite what Clover and Royston might be hinting). Although it wasn't the first time Tim had heard such things from Jerry, the amount of faith and trust that Jerry possessed never failed to touch him.

"What about the others in the Reformatory Program Jerry?" Royston asked. He was the only one of the four external members of the Reformatory Program that was present.

"I don't trust them fully." Jerry admitted after a moment. "I know it's unlikely, that the traitor is one of them, because Del had hinted the traitor to be from W.O.O.H.P, but I don't want to take any chances. I've known you for years Royston, and I **know** you." There was a hidden message there that Jerry was trying to get across to Royston, Alex could tell. _But that's a mystery left for another day. _

"That means a lot Jerry." The man said gruffly. "Thank you."

Once everyone had been appeased that all in the room were trustworthy, Jerry brought everyone up to speed with the latest events. "I've received a text message this morning, from Myrna, and also Del."

He showed the group Myrna's text message first, which brought murmurs and commentaries. Only Tim and Sam were silent, confused looks on their faces. _Why was Myrna acting as if our escape never happened? _This was part of a bigger plan, Tim could feel it.

Then, he flashed the text message that Del sent them.

**Diversion. Jail break tonight. Split men on both sides. **

That triggered incredulous yells and shouts from everyone in the room. Jerry held a hand up to get the agents to settle down.

"As you can see, we have kind of a situation…" Jerry said, once the room was silent once more. "Which is why I called for another meeting to help with the devising of a plan… Since the majority of W.O.O.H.P are still in the dark about the Reformatory Program, and considering how I don't need any more hysterics right now…I'll need each and every of you on board tonight." He eyed every agent in the room.

There were exchange of nods and grunts of acknowledgement. Everyone put aside their initial emotions and reactions to help device a plan to capture Myrna and her goons once and for all.

"How do you intend to do this Jer? Do you have a plan?" Alex pipped up.

"I was thinking of doing what Del suggested, splitting agents on both sides. As to the how and the numbers, I was hoping to have some ideas."

Tim was quiet thus far, but now he raised his hand. "If you don't mind me saying Jerry…I think I might have some thoughts on how we might be able to do this…"

"Go ahead." The head of W.O.O.H.P gestured for Tim to continue. Tim turned his chair to face the group, capturing everyone's attention. "Here's what I have in mind…

* * *

**Meanwhile… **

**At some unknown corner of W.O.O.H.P…**

"It's weird for you to be calling this early…Do you have news?"

"Linda's been whisked away for a meeting. Matt isn't at his seat too. I suspect it has something to do with the Reformatory Program..."

"Curious…Didn't you say that they had a meeting last night as well? After Samantha and Scam returned?"

"Yes they did Myrna…Do you think we should be concerned?"

There was a momentary silence. "Don't worry too much. It could be just a mandatory meeting… I'll speak with Gus and get back to you. In the mean time, hold your horses. The plan is still on."

"Got it Myrna, see you later."

* * *

**7.30pm, Los Angeles, Boogie Gus' apartment. **

"So everyone is clear of the plan later?" Boogie Gus clarified. He was addressing the trio of villains that had driven down from San Diego to his home. Everyone nodded tersely, each lost in their own thoughts of the upcoming mission.

Del especially, had millions of thoughts swimming in his mind. On one hand, he was ready to help apprehend and throw Myrna and her goons back into prison where they belonged. On the other, he was also aware of the billion and one ways that this mission could go wrong. It was possible that his life might be on the line tonight, something that he was way too familiar with. Coupled with the suspicion that George already harboured of him, Del had to be doubly careful that night.

His mind flashed to the brief phone call he managed to sneak to W.O.O.H.P HQ while en route to picking up takeout lunch.

"_Sam and Tim sends their kindest regards Del…Thank you, for what you have done for them." Jerry said gratefully. _

"_I'm glad they're safe." Relief coursed through his veins. Although he was responsible for setting the ball in motion, there was never any confirmation for him that Sam and Tim managed to contact W.O.O.H.P. He was relieved that his efforts were not in vain. _

"_We'll try our best to keep you safe as well tonight Del." Jerry stated plainly. _

"_I know Jerry…Thanks, that means a lot." Del never doubted the loyalty that W.O.O.H.P agents have. He changed the subject. "Have you guys any inkling who the double agent is?" _

_At that, Jerry sighed. "No…It'll take awhile, I think. But I'm hoping that we will be able to get some clues, or even arrest the person in action tonight." _

Just to be on the safe side, Jerry hadn't told him much about the plan on W.O.O.H.P's end. He had warned Del to be on his toes and reassured that all agents involved knew of his true loyalties. He wouldn't be able to confess to anything under duress if he didn't know anything. The less he knew, the better.

At least now he was certain one side of his arse would be covered…

* * *

**10.55pm, Unknown Location, Los Angeles. **

Driving a black van, Jerry was circling the area where he had been instructed to be at, waiting nervously for a text message to tell him of his next move. In another car, parked inconspicuously along the road, were Agent Matt and Agent Linda. The duo always kept a close eye on their boss and were wary and watchful of their surroundings.

They watched as Jerry stopped in front of a trash can and stepped out of the car carrying a dark bag. Looking hesitantly around, Jerry quickly deposited the bag into the trash can.

With the same amount of stealth and caution, the head of W.O.O.H.P got back into his black van and sped away. As he drove passed the parked car of Agent Matt and Linda, he never once glanced in their direction.

Minutes later, Agent Linda received a text message from Jerry.

**Heading back to W.O.O.H.P to backup now. Be careful you two.**

"And now we wait." Agent Matt stated bluntly.

Agent Linda nodded. "Now we wait." She echoed.

* * *

**11.10pm, W.O.O.H.P HQ. **

Del and Myrna were lurking near the backdoor of W.O.O.H.P HQ. From what he had managed to deduce, this backdoor was rarely used because it was obscure and far away from the main offices. Even the janitors did not use this exit, instead preferring the one on the other side of the wall.

Apart from being clad in black from head to toe, Myrna had donned a disguise so good that she could barely be recognised. Her real features would be a dead giveaway of her identity, especially since she was heading back to the same jail facility she had resided for several years. She had on a silicone face mask, a wig and an extensive amount of make up that even Del was sceptical at first of who he had seen. Del on the other hand, had barely altered his looks, only donning a pair of glasses.

Checking her watch one last time, Myrna gave three sharp raps against the metal door. The door creaked open, a clear intention that someone was waiting for them. Del could see a shadow of a tall figure, illuminated by the lights from the corridor in the W.O.O.H.P building. Myrna was blocking most of his view though.

"The coast is clear." A gruff voice said, opening the door wider for Myrna and Del to pass through. With a curt nod, Myrna gestured for Del to follow.

Once they were in the W.O.O.H.P building, Myrna wasted no time and urged the man to walk. While they carefully crept down the abandoned and dimly lit corridor, Del appraise the man that had turned his back on W.O.O.H.P. He was dressed like many other W.O.O.H.P agents in a black suit set, and a wireless Bluetooth headset plugged in his ears. He had dark brown hair and a set of orbs of the same shade.

This man which had betrayed W.O.O.H.P looked so ordinary that Del knew he wouldn't give him another passing glance. _The perfect kind of undercover agent. _Del was more than familiar with the concept. He tried hunting for prominent identifying features as far as possible, committing it to memory. W.O.O.H.P would have to know about this.

Del thank his lucky stars that he didn't recognise the agent and vice versa. That would have made for a rather awkward situation.

"What about the security cameras?" Del whispered as he caught sight of one.

"Already taken care of. You're not the only technical expert we have on our hands." Myrna muttered back. "But Jack needs an alibi in case, so…"

"This way." The man named Jack lead Myrna and Del pass the boiler room to what appeared to be the janitor's closet. "Got some clothes for you to change into."

Once they were adequately suited (Del in a black suit identical to the one Jack was wearing, and Myrna in a janitor's outfit) did they carry on. Myrna pushed a cleaning trolley along as she walked. Jack lead them to a flight of stairs leading upwards.

"You know the rest of the way Myrna. I need to make sure I have an alibi when things happen…"

"I do. Thanks Jack." Myrna answered.

As the man passed Del, the two exchanged a curt nod.

"Let's go. You remember the plan?" Myrna asked. She directed them towards the stairs.

"Yep." Del replied, lifting one end of the trolley to hull up the stairs.

* * *

Minutes later, the odd pair was down the hallway leading to the prison facility. At the entrance, two guards were stationed, both male. One of them was tall with a similar built to Del, while the other was shorter and smaller sized, with olive skin, dark hair and a prominent moustache.

Neither Myrna nor Del recognised either of the guards, which was to their advantage. The shorter man looked up as the janitor's cart came into view.

"Sorry to disturb." Del began, flashing the (counterfeit) W.O.O.H.P badge that Boogie Gus had passed to him before the start of the operation. He did that action quickly, such that the two W.O.O.H.P guards could see the logo on the badge, but not able to scrutinise too closely. He gestured to Myrna. "She's the new janitor. I was asked to bring her around at night to show her the layout." _Rule number one of lying, keep your story simple. _

The two guards exchanged looks and kept darting towards Myrna. The villain played her part of a seemingly weak, defenceless janitor well, keeping her head lowered.

"Yeah sure." The taller man replied. He moved to unlock the doors with a passcode and his W.O.O.H.P card.

"Thanks man." Del replied with a nod.

"You're welcome." The shorter one answered, his voice unusually gruff.

As Myrna pushed the janitor's cart along, she happened to meet eyes with the shorter W.O.O.H.P agent. The brown eyes that were appraising her, along with that olive skin and dark hair, struck a chord in Myrna's mind. But she could not remember why she found him familiar. The thought was pushed to the back of her mind when she finally entered the Prison Facility. _So far so good. _

Due to the hour of the night, the walkway was dimly lit. From a distance, Del could see one W.O.O.H.P guard completing his patrol of the two-storey facility. Other than that, all was still and quiet.

The squeaky wheels of the janitor's cart were all that Del could hear. They made their way across the facility at a normal speed, Del making a show of gesturing and pointing to Myrna, just in case the guards were watching.

Myrna kept the act going, as Del guided them towards the prison cell that they both knew Terrence was being kept in. The undercover agent could feel his heart beating faster and faster as they neared the cell in question.

Cell number #1091A. Del spotted a figure lying on the bed, a thin blanket covering the entire body. Myrna stopped the janitor cart.

Mindful that walls had ears, Del instructed Myrna in a normal voice to take a moment and try to make a mental picture of the place. Without another word, Del went to work. He fished out the tools kept the jacket pockets and made quick work of cracking the lock.

"Come on Terrence. Let's go." Myrna whispered, as Del successfully cracked the code.

While the gate swung open, the figure on Terrence's bed rose.

"Going somewhere Myrna?" Tim Scam smirked.

* * *

**Drama! Haha. The conclusion is next! **

**Shoutout to my lovely reviewers: Boris Yeltsin, Cresenta's Lark, Sammi and Sirap Sunlight! Thank you for constantly leaving your opinions and thoughts on the story! **

**Till next week! **

**TrixieNancy**


	13. Chapter 13

**Unearthed Secrets **

Chapter 13

* * *

**11.30pm, W.O.O.H.P HQ. **

Del recoiled, clearing not expecting Tim Scam to jump out of the bed that Terrence Lewis was supposed to be lying on. _They got a plan ready then…_

"It's a trap." While Del was rooted to his spot, Myrna recovered quickly, and tried to close the gate.

"I don't think so." Tim pounced and was keeping the cell door open with his bare strength before Myrna could fully close it. Myrna leaned her full weight on the door, using it to her advantage. It was almost working, but suddenly a body flew into Myrna's side. The weight threw her off her feet and Myrna landed on her back.

The super villian looked up to see one of the guards stationed on the inside of the prison facility. The guard took off her cap, revealing long red hair tied up in a bun.

"Good try though Myrna." Sam smirked, as Tim took on a fighting stance next to her, having gotten out of Terrence Lewis' cell.

"Good to see you again sunshine." Myrna all but growled out. The villain took on a defensive stance. "But sorry, we got to skedaddle." She locked gazes with Del.

Del nodded tersely and attempted to move towards Myrna. But a hand in front of him stopped him in his tracks. "Think we'll let you go so easily?" Tim had his eyebrows raised in challenge.

Myrna's gaze hardened. "I would be surprise if you did." Without another warning, the villain launched herself at Sam. A fight broke out immediately. Both women were evenly matched, fuelled by raw determination to get the upper hand in the match.

Del was surprised when the hand in front of him belonging to Tim suddenly went behind his back, twisting and grabbing before throwing him on the ground.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, as Tim's body weight pressed firmly against his back.

"Saving your identity." Tim whispered with a meaningful look.

A grateful look graced Del's features. Tim was helping him to keep his identity under wraps. The undercover agent took the chance to ram his elbow into Tim's face, successfully releasing the weight on him, before sending a punch in Tim's direction once he got up. Tim blocked it deftly and returned the blow. It was all a well coordinated act. Tim's blows were never aimed to truly injure Del, and vice versa.

_This sparring match is getting nowhere. _Sam thought to herself as she dodged an attack from Myrna. She had suffered a few bruises on various parts of her body, but she had also gotten a few good kicks in Myrna's side as well.

Myrna appeared to be thinking the same thing. With all the strength that she had, the super villain pushed the janitor's cart in Sam's direction, effectively creating a temporary blockage between them. "LET'S GO DEL!"

Del didn't need any second prompting. He jumped over the cart swiftly and broke into a run behind Myrna.

Sam and Tim were on the chase instantly.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

"I'm beginning to think no one's coming." Agent Linda said bluntly, her eyes threatening to close at any moment.

"I fear your right." Agent Matt downed the last of his coffee. Stake outs could get dry and dull, like this one was. The streets were deserted. No one had gotten anywhere close to the drop off point in the past forty minutes they had been watching.

"But it's necessary and you know it." He turned to her.

"I know…" She trailed off. Even though the ray guns had been modified and the blueprint plans weren't really the ones that the criminals wanted, someone still needed to keep watch to help catch the culprits. "It was a really good plan that they had though…If not for Del's warnings, we would have practically all our best agents sitting here waiting, and they would have infiltrated W.O.O.H.P without a problem."

"Luckily we're one step ahead of them then." Agent Matt grinned. But his smile was short-lived, for a flash of headlights from a vehicle behind them blinded him. "Looks like we've got company."

The duo stared as a dark red car came to a stop in front of the trash can. From their angle, they couldn't see the passenger side of the car. The shadows of the night prevented the duo from spotting the figure at the driver's seat. But whoever they were, it was suspicious how they would park directly in front of the trash can. Agent Linda wasted no time in taking down the license plate number. While she ran the number in W.O.O.H.P's datebase, the red car suddenly started up again, before driving away.

Simultaneously, the results came in. "Stolen car…" Agent Linda mused. "It's probably our guy."

"Let's go." Agent Matt said grimly, already starting the engine. "Call for backup."

* * *

**11.45pm, W.O.O.H.P HQ. **

All the action that was going on had attracted the attention of practically all the criminals that were locked in their cells. A mixture of cheers and jeers filled the air, along with some gasped of astonishment when they realised who exactly were running around. But Tim cut these noises away, his one-tracked mind focused on getting Myrna locked up for good. They were less than ten metres behind Myrna and Del, the gulf reducing with every second.

As Myrna rounded another bend, Sam noticed the woman whipped out a handgun. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. The supervillain undid the safety catch and took quick aim while continuing to run. It took Sam barely a second to make the connection. The moment Myrna pushed the trigger, Sam pushed her legs forward.

"Look out!" Sam threw Tim and herself out of the way just in time. A bullet barely grazed her hair, the whizzing of the bullet leaving a ringing sound in her ears.

Tim groaned, unharmed but stunned. "You okay love?" Sam asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks." A quick glance proved to Tim that Sam thankfully didn't suffer any injuries, and he squeezed her hand gratefully. However, Myrna's distraction had worked. She had managed to widen the distance between them.

"Stop!" Sam shouted, and the chase was on once more.

Myrna was ruthless. And Del had to put on the same façade. The sounds of gunfire came rapidly in succession. Glass shattered as bullets hit the doors of some of the prison cells, while others were lodged in pillars or on the floor. Thankfully, it was really only Myrna's bullets that Sam and Tim had to dodge. Del's aim was always off.

"This way!" Myrna directed Del down the stairs to the bottom floor of the facility.

But the duo didn't get very far. Soon, their exit was cut off by the same two W.O.O.H.P guards that were on duty outside the prison facility. One of them was carrying a gadget that looked suspiciously like the Net Throwing Extendable Rod Mascara, while the other had a gun.

"The game is up." The taller man proclaimed, glaring. His gun was pointed straight at Myrna.

"You got that right." The shorter man chimed in, his voice of a much higher pitch. He ripped off his moustache with one hand, while keeping a firm grip on the gadget with the other. The disguise removed, Myrna found her expression hardening further as recognition flooded her mind. This was Alexandra, one of those pesky W.O.O.H.P spies.

"Nice to see you again Myrna." Alex noticed the villain's glares and acknowledged her.

Not to be deterred, Myrna and Del attempted to back away, but were stopped by the approaching bodies of Tim and Sam.

"The jig is up Myrna." Tim said, holding a shotgun of his own. "Drop the gun, both of you."

Del didn't say a word but sent continuous questioning glances in Myrna's direction. Undercover agent or not, he wasn't going to put down his gun until Myrna did.

"Put down the gun Myrna." Sam repeated what her beau was saying.

Myrna appeared to have an internal battle with herself. Her eyes scanned every inch of the room, cold and calculating. But before she could move a muscle, a voice boomed from the second floor of the facility.

"Wanna re-evaluate that situation?" All eyes turned to the source. What Del saw was enough to send chills down his spine, the shock piercing all the way to his bones.

For on the second floor, was Boogie Gus.

Holding a handgun.

To Jerry's head.

* * *

"Jerry!" Sam and Alex shouted simultaneously, staring at their boss in horror. Jerry was held in a tight grip by the shoulders, with the gun pointed at his temple. He appeared calm and collected, but only those that knew Jerry for years could see the subtle signs of nervousness he displayed.

"I'm fine…" The head of W.O.O.H.P said shakily.

"Let him go." Tim growled, pointing his gun at Boogie Gus. His jaw was set in a firm line as his eyes never left Jerry's. Jerry was his saviour, both literally and figuratively speaking. Tim wasn't going to let any harm come to his boss if he had anything to sat about it.

"Let them go first." The other man gestured with his eyes at Myrna and Del. "And he shall not be hurt."

The four W.O.O.H.P agents on the bottom floor conferred silently through their eyes, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Sam shook her head slowly at Alex's inquisitive look. _Jerry's well-being first._ The two superspies slowly lowered the gadgets in their hands. After several moments, the two men reluctantly did the same for their handguns.

"Place them on the ground." Boogie Gus barked. "And kick them away." The four agents did as they were told. Although their postures and facial expressions said otherwise, they raised their hands up in a 'I surrender' pose,

Del watched silently as the W.O.O.H.P agents compiled with Boogie Gus' requests as he pondered on what to do. Boogie Gus' appearance was unexpected, and he wondered why the other man had abandoned the plan. He and George were supposed to be in charge of getting the loot. _Then there's the other problem of how to get Jerry out of this? Are we really going to let Myrna and Boogie Gus go scott free? _Del had no plan, and no idea what to do next. And that scared him.

"One wrong move, and off goes his head." Boogie Gus taunted, pressed the gun harder against Jerry's temple for emphasis. The agents all nodded tersely. "Come on Myrna, Del." Warily, Del and Myrna backed away from the agents, with Myrna's gun still poised and ready. They slowly headed to the stairs.

Within a few minutes, Myrna and Del were standing next to Boogie Gus.

"You have your men, now let Jerry go." Sam stated bravely.

Boogie Gus and Myrna traded smirks. "Let us leave W.O.O.H.P alive and without being apprehended, and you have a deal."

"No. Arrest them agents! I'll fend for myself." Jerry quickly cut in, shaking his head as best as he could. Letting those two villians go free would be asking for trouble. No doubt, those two could cause much havoc, and they would have to go through hell and back to apprehend them again.

"Oh Jerry…You were always the noble one…" Myrna cooed; venom laced in her voice. "So what will it be…agents?"

* * *

As Myrna and Boogie Gus spoke to the W.O.O.H.P agents, Del let his eyes roam around the prison facility. No doubt, saving Jerry was a must. But his boss from W.O.O.H.P Paris had told him firmly to keep his identity under wraps as far as possible. Torn between two sides, Del found himself in a dilemma. And there was the problem of how he would get Jerry out of the situation. _It'll be one against two. _Del had no guarantees that he would be faster than Boogie Gus' gun. And this was a gamble that he wasn't exactly willing to take.

Suddenly, something moved at the corner of his eye. His orbs darted to lock with the ones of a blonde female wearing a red spy suit. She had been carefully sneaking over but froze when Del caught sight of her. A golf club was in her hand.

_This must be the infamous Clover…_Sam had told him some things about her friends while in captivity (once his identity had been confirmed). Praying that Sam and Tim had also updated their friends of his true identity, Del gave her a subtle nod of encouragement. Myrna and Boogie Gus hadn't caught sight of Clover; being occupied by the rest of the W.O.O.H.P agents. That could be used to their advantage.

Clover apparently must have put together who Del was, for she nodded in return quickly. He gestured with his eyes what they ought to do, hoping she would understand. _You'll save Jerry. I'll deal with Myrna. _

As Del geared his body to prepare for attack, the possible repecussions of exposing his secret identity did cross his mind. _Screw it though…Otherwise we'll all be screwed. _

Sean had said only do the drastic if there was an emergency. This was definitely an emergency.

He counted down from three with his fingers, locking gazes with Clover the whole time.

3

2

1…

And then all hell broke loose.

Clover smashed the golf club to Boogie Gus' head, causing the latter to loosen his grip on Jerry on reflex. Jerry seized the window of opportunity he had to twist himself out of the man's grip and wrestled for the gun. Clover dropped the golf club, and flew to Jerry's side to help him.

Simultaneously, Del aimed a kick to Myrna's side, sending her own gun flying out of her hand. Myrna never expected the blow to come but recovered quickly. Del made a dive for the gun, and Myrna did the same.

"I knew something was fishy about you." The woman snarled as the two fought. Her face was hardened in a displeased scowl.

"You can tell that to your prison guard." Del answered, swiftly delivering another blow to Myrna's side.

In the midst of the pandemonium, Tim, Sam, Alex and the final W.O.O.H.P agent had already rushed up the stairs leading to the upper floor. While Clover, Jerry and Del held off well on their own, the extra reinforcements quickly lead to the arrest of Boogie Gus and Myrna.

"You should have known better to mess with a W.O.O.H.P agent Myrna." Sam said with utter most satisfaction as she hand-cuffed Myrna. Tim had a similar look of satisfaction on his face as he held Boogie Gus' in a firm grip.

"George was right." Myrna murmured, glaring at Del with hatred before she was lead away. "You are one of them."

"I told you so." Boogie Gus said in triumph.

"Oh shut up you." Myrna snapped back. "Too late for that don't you think?"

Del wiped off some dried blood from his lips before speaking. "Hopefully that'll teach you to be careful of who you place your trust in." He said with authority. His undercover identity was exposed, but Del was feeling nothing but relief and fulfilment. Myrna was really quite a horrible boss to work for anyway.

"Excellent work, all of you." Jerry pronounced, once other W.O.O.H.P agents had escorted Myrna and Boogie Gus away.

"All in a day's work." Sam smiled.

"Certainly." Jerry gave Del a significant smile and a pat on the back. "Thank you for your help Del. W.O.O.H.P thanks you."

"It's all part of my job." Del answered sheepishly. "Good job everyone."

"Yeah! Good save Clover."

"Good job Clover." Del echoed. "I was honestly at lost of what to do." Del sent a charming smile in Clover's direction.

"It took awhile to find and apprehend Jack…I came rushing over as soon as I could." The blonde spy told the group. At Del's look of confusion (because he recognised the name), Jerry quickly elaborated. While Tim, Sam and Alex's role in the whole plan was to ambush Myrna and Del, Clover was monitoring the security system and sieving out the traitor. And she did a great job at that.

Jack was apparently, the assistant head of W.O.O.H.P's Weaponry Department (that was headed by Linda).

"I spotted him loitering the corridor through the cameras the second time when he let Boogie Gus in, then kept tab on him. He's currently tied up, under the watchful eye of some of the W.O.O.H.P guards." Clover explained.

Del was beyond glad to hear that Jack had been arrested. W.O.O.H.P was safe once again.

"What about Terrence Lewis…?"

"We did a cell transfer at the last minute." This time it was Tim that answered. "Just so that Jack wouldn't have time to find out."

"What about the ray gun and blueprint plans Jer?" Sam turned to her boss. "Did George Akkay manage to get them?"

At that moment, Jerry's cell phone rang. "Speak of the devil…That'll be Linda… Excuse me agents, I'll have to take this."

Jerry walk to a corner of the room to answer the call. Del's gaze lingered on the prison facility, swarming with W.O.O.H.P agents trying to control the pandemonium that had broke out among the crimimals. Several of the gunshots had damaged the glass doors of the prison cells or gotten lodged in the walls. Thankfully though, it appeared that no one was injured.

"You alright?" Del turned around to face Tim, who gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Yeah. You okay man?"

"I'm good… Thanks man. If it wasn't for your tip, who knows what would have happened tonight." Normally Tim wasn't the type to express his emotions, but he felt compelled to do so. This man had done so much, he deserved to know that.

"You did a great job Del." Sam chimed in gratefully.

"Yeah Del…Sam told us what you did for them. Thank you, for risking everything to help us save our Sammy. And Tim too." Alex came over and smiled.

"Stop thanking me." Del was beginning to feel embarrass at all the attention he was getting. "You guys would have done the same if I was in your shoes."

Amused smiles were his only response.

* * *

When Jerry came back though, his news was more sombre. "George Akkay managed to gave us the slip. I don't know how he did it. But a BOLO is out for the car he was driving though."

"Maybe I could help…He should be waiting in Boogie Gus' apartment. At least, that was the meeting point we agreed on." Del said, jumping at the chance to capture George. Jerry nodded, and with a smile and a nod at each of the W.O.O.H.P agents, Del followed Jerry to his office.

"I'm glad it's over." Clover commented with a big sigh. The trio of spies plus Tim were making their way to the meeting room for a quick debrief. "Too much drama these past few days…"

"I second that." Sam replied, walking hand in hand with Tim

"What I need is a cup of chocolate, and ten hours of uninterrupted sleep." The blonde added.

At her words, Alex scoffed. "Good luck on that… Now that our exams are over, Jerry will probably send us on more missions then before."

Clover sent a mock glare in Alex's direction. "Don't jinx it Alex!"

"You know I have a point." Her friend bluntly replied.

"A girl can dream, can't I?" Clover huffed and rolled her eyes.

Sam and Tim traded amused looks as they listened to Clover and Alex's playful banter. It had really been a roller-coaster ride, and Sam was more than glad that it was over. Her side was slightly bruised from fighting with Myrna, but she was otherwise physically okay. She felt more at peace than ever before. The two most important secrets she had been keeping from her friends had come to light, and she was grateful that they weren't (too) mad.

_Everything's the way it should be._ Squeezing her beau's warm hand, she was rewarded with the charming smile she loved.

_Well…At least until our next adventure. _Despite the constant danger she faced and the hair-raising adventure she just had; Sam was already looking forward to the next mission too. The thrill of fighting crime was what she loved best of being a superspy. Added to the fact that she had her best friends and her boyfriend by her side, Sam wouldn't have things any other way.

* * *

**Epilogue left! (Should be up in a few days; I've got the draft written already). I hope the final confrontational scene was okay!**

**Thanks to Cresenta's Lark and Sammi for your reviews for the previous chapter!**

**I'll ramble in the epilogue haha. Until then!**

**TrixieNancy**


	14. Chapter 14

**Unearthed Secrets **

Epilogue

* * *

**4 months later…**

The first graduation ceremony for the W.O.O.H.P Reformatory Program was a rather hush-hush affair. It was held in the function hall of the building the members often met for mandatory meetings. Only close family members and friends of the graduates could attend.

Sam was there of course, wearing an off-shoulder, forest green dress that brought out her emerald orbs. She was seated in the first few rows with Clover and Alex, her eyes shining with pride and happiness. Tim was graduating from the Reformatory Program, and she couldn't be more proud of him.

After the whole incident with Myrna and Boogie Gus, time had simply flew by. Their relationship was still under the radar from most of W.O.O.H.P, but Tim had gained a more positive reputation once word got out of his role in the whole affair. Several W.O.O.H.P agents had spread the word of Tim helping to apprehend Myrna and Boogie Gus.

W.O.O.H.P agents in general were more accepting towards him. Sure, there were still the scornful looks and distrust by some, but Tim's final four months in the Reformatory Program were more smooth-sailing than before.

_And now he even has a job at W.O.O.H.P. _Sam thought to herself as the first of the graduates got called on the stage. She found herself smiling as her mind replayed the incident two weeks prior…

_**Flashback (2 weeks ago…) **_

"_Hey Jerry…You wanted to see me?" Tim took long strides into Jerry's office, noting with some surprise and happiness that his girlfriend was there as well. Sam was seated in one of the two other chairs in the office in front of Jerry's table. _

_Conversation stopped when he entered the room, and they turned to look at him with genuine smiles on their faces. _

"_Ah Tim. Yes. Do come in and take a seat." Jerry gestured. _

_Without missing a beat, Tim sat down in the chair next to Sam's. Their hands found one another's immediately, firmly grasped under the table. Sam gave Tim's hand a squeeze in reassurance. It was obvious that he was nervous, for his posture was tense and his smile didn't fully reach his eyes. Sam couldn't blame him. It was rare for someone to be specifically called into Jerry's office. Normally, it would mean only two things: something good or something bad. _

_The warm hand in his helped to calm Tim's heart somewhat. Don't jump to conclusions, he thought. _

"_I heard that Royston approached you." Jerry said. _

"_Yes he did…He wanted to offer me a place in his security firm, once I graduate." Tim confirmed, making eye contact with his boss. _

_One of the best perks about the Reformatory Program was an almost guaranteed employment right after graduation. Jerry had specific reasons for choosing certain firms as partners in the program, partners that fully supported the cause of hiring ex-cons. Tim had already been approached by several companies with potential job offers. _

_Tim snuck a peek at Sam. They hadn't formally discussed his future employment prospects just yet, but Tim had told her that he was still considering. That was the same thing he told Jerry next._

"_Well…" Jerry picked up a light brown file from the stack on his table. "I'll like to formally add to your pool of choices." He pushed the document towards Tim. _

_The reformed agent's eyes widened as he wordlessly opened the file. Tim felt a lump grow bigger in his throat as he read the words on the crisp, white paper. "You want me to come back and work for W.O.O.H.P Jer?" His voice was husky and thick with emotion. _

_At that, Jerry smiled. There was nothing less than a fatherly like look on his face. "If you want to. You have an amazing talent. And you are dedicated and enthusiastic about your work. Linda has nothing but high praises of you when I asked her about your work in the Weapons Department. And you know after the whole incident with Jack…the Weapons Department needs someone like you." _

_Tim nodded numbly in understanding. The whole fiasco with Jack and his change of sides still rankled in W.O.O.H.P. Under pressure, he had broke down and confessed his story._

_Apparently, Jack had stumbled upon some of Linda's confidential files of the Reformatory Program one day. Curiosity had him follow Linda one of the labs, where he had witnessed her and Tim hard at work. Jack had described seeing a kind of mutual coordination and understanding between the pair that left much to be desired. Jack was a career oriented man, and recognised a potential threat to his succession at W.O.O.H.P as the Head of the Weapons Department when he saw it. Besides, Tim's legacy in the Weapons Department was not unheard of. Myrna and Boogie Gus had cleverly used his jealously and desire to succeed to their advantage. _

_The most surprising thing that came out of this was that he hadn't known about Tim and Sam's secret relationship, not until Myrna had told him. Apparently, Myrna kept tabs on Tim after finding about the program, and by chance discovered the two's relationship. _

_But that was now all in the past now. _

_Tim glanced again at the file in his hand, before looking up and Jerry again. "Thank you Jerry. You wouldn't regret giving me the chance, I promise." _

"_No rush in deciding Tim. I'll expect you'll have some deliberating to do." The head of W.O.O.H.P replied, his eyes twinkling as he darted his gaze between the couple in front of him. _

"_I'll let you know again Jerry. Thanks again." Tim promised. Even as he said that though, Tim's mind had already been made up. _

"Timothy Scam." The redhead was brought back to reality when the name of her boyfriend was called. Cheers and a hearty applause erupted from their side of the room, as Clover, Alex and Tim's Aunt Lorraine clapped. Sam joined in, her heart soaring as Tim crossed the stage.

He was dressed in a crisp, black suit, and looked dashing as always. After accepting the certificate, Tim's sea foamed eyes scanned the room quickly. His eyes found hers easily, and his grin broaden. Sam was smiling so much that her face hurt. But she was beyond elated. Tim deserved the recognition he was getting.

* * *

**Later…**

"Congratulations Tim!" Both Alex and Clover greeted the man with quick hugs and huge smiles.

"Thanks ladies!" Tim returned the hug easily. Over the months, Alex, Clover and Tim had first formed a tentative, then a close bond. Tim had proven to them time and time again that he was not the same Tim Scam they knew from several years back. With that assurance, Alex and Clover had willingly opened up to Tim and gave him their blessings of his relationship with Sam. Tim treated the two of them like his younger sisters, and they saw him like the annoying older brother they never had.

Needless to say, the one that was the happiest about this had been Sam. She had literally squealed for joy when her friends had initiated a hangout session with Tim.

"Happy graduation love." Once her friends were done showering her boyfriend with their own blessings, Sam engulfed her beau in her bear hug of her own. Strong arms immediately went around her waist, as Tim hugged her back tightly.

"I couldn't have done it without you." He murmured into her ear, nuzzling his face in her long hair. Indeed, Sam was his lifesaver. Without her, he would probably still be living the life of a criminal. Without her, he would never have known the beauty of love. She was always there to support him, through the ups and downs as he navigated through the Reformatory Program. Tim was grateful, and very blessed indeed.

She smiled, her emerald eyes speaking volumes on their own. "You did it Tim. You really did it." _Oh, how far we have come. _

A sudden tap on Tim's shoulder broke the couple's moment. Tim disentangled himself from Sam and turned around.

"So I heard congratulations are in order." Standing right there was Del, a big smile etched on his face.

"Del! Why are you here?" If possible, Tim's smile grew bigger upon noticing the undercover agent. The two men did a quick bro-hug.

"Wouldn't miss your graduation for the world. Congrats man." Del explained, looping an arm around his friend's shoulders.

It was to no one's surprise that Del and Tim ended up forming a tight bond. Both men were of the same age and had similar rocky past, not to mention a similar sense of sarcastic humour. Tim was practically the only person who understood the horrifying things that Del had experienced while undercover. They just simply understood each other.

Even when Del had returned to W.O.O.H.P Paris to receive his next undercover assignment, Tim and Del had always kept in touch. The reformed agent would always be there to help Del navigate his moral compass when things got rough.

"Hello ladies." Del greeted everyone else with a wave and a wink.

"You told him didn't you?" Tim raised his eyebrows at Sam. His girlfriend could be really sweet; getting one of his closest friends to come over for his graduation without his knowledge. At that, the redhead held her hand up defensively, shaking her head.

"It wasn't me." She said honestly.

"I told him." Suddenly, Alex piped up. A pinkish tint crept up her cheeks as all attention came onto her. The athletic superspy peered at Del, before biting her lower lip. "We were talking and I kinda mentioned it."

Sam's eyes shot to Del, but the man only had eyes for her blushing, olive skin friend. A smirk played on the man's features. Sam's orbs sparkled with mirth as she shared a knowing look with Tim.

A delighted squeal left Clover's lips. "Since when did you and Del started talking hmm?" The blonde nudged her friend.

"Yeah Alex." Sam slide over to Alex's other side with a smirk. "Is there something that you have to tell us?"

Sam and Clover laughed heartedly, and they began to whisper into Alex's ear. Judging by the increasing colour on Alex's face, the men had an idea of what (or who exactly) they were talking about.

"I guess now would be the right time to say that I've requested for a transfer to W.O.O.H.P HQ right?" Del suddenly murmured as he watched the trio of spies interact.

Tim turned to look at his friend incredulously. "Seriously man?"

"Yep." He nodded in confirmation. "As a normal field agent. I'm done with all the undercover stuff. It's all too much." He shared a meaningful look with Tim.

"Nice! We'll be co-workers then." Tim suddenly nudged his friend, similar to how Sam had nudged Alex. "But we both know that there's another reason apart from that." Tim waggled his eyebrows playfully before pointedly cocking his head in Alex's direction.

Tim suddenly became serious. "Alex is a sweetie and like a sister to me. Take good care of her." His tone conveyed everything Del needed to know. Tim was protective of the ones he was close to, and that included Alex.

"Don't worry Tim. I intend to stick around." Del nodded solemnly, before turning to look at Alex. The fond smile on his face returned.

* * *

Later during an informal dinner gathering at the girls' villa, Sam and Tim managed to sneak some alone time away. Clover, Alex, Del and Blaine were pleasant company and all, but the couple was craving for some time for themselves.

The second Tim closed the door to Sam's room behind him, he was attacked by her soft, pink lips. Surprise claimed Tim for a mere moment, but he responded to the kiss eagerly.

"Mmm… What was that for?" He murmured, his voice drunk on lust and love when they finally broke apart.

Sam smiled, looping her arms around his neck. "Just your graduation gift."

"Well…I'll re-enroll myself in the Reformatory Program if I can get this gift all the time." He told her seriously. His girlfriend only chuckled and captured his lips with hers again. Just as the kiss was getting heated, the loud echoes of a familiar beep came from the living room.

Three simultaneously beeps from each of the girls' X-Powders.

"Seriously? Is Jerry gonna send us on a mission RIGHT now?" The couple broke apart as they heard Clover's loud complaint from the living room. Tim couldn't help but sigh, pressing his forehead against his beau's while he regulated his breathing.

"Jerry has horrible timing." Sam whispered, trying to conceal a giggle.

"The worst." Tim groaned in agreement. The sudden buzzing of the phone in his pants pocket only reinforced his opinions.

"Come on, we better see what he wants." Sam told her boyfriend. "We'll continue this later." She promised. At that, Tim's eyes lit up, much like a child on Christmas morning.

"I'll hold you to it." His held her gaze, sea-foamed eyes cloudy but intense. Sam found herself drowning.

_Knock! Knock!_

Two sharp raps on Sam's room door broke the couple's intense stare. "Come on you two! The mission's not going to go by itself you know!"

As Tim and Sam walked back into the living room, hand in hand, Tim couldn't help but feel blessed. He had the best job in the world, with great friends, and the love of his life. After so long, he finally felt like he was living the right kind of life again.

_And I won't have it any other way…Even though Jerry DOES have the absolutely WORST timing…_

_Gosh, he better not do this at my wedding…_

* * *

**Fin**

**Finally completed! **

**It's been a wonderful three months journey writing this fanfic. The plot bunny had been in my head for at least a year actually, I only now had the inspiration and time to really write it. **

**Thank you everyone for sticking with this tale, and for constantly showing your support. **** You guys know who you are, I'm very grateful. ^^**

**There won't be a sequel to this; I think the ending line of the story tells you a lot about how Tim and Sam's future will be like haha. ;) **

**I'm working on another piece of TS fanfic though, a general adventure/suspense one with the trio. ****The first chapter of Winds of Time has already been posted! Do take a look if you want! **

**Thank you all once again! :)**

**TrixieNancy**


	15. Bonus Chapter

**A/N: This bonus chapter is set 4 months after the events of the epilogue, so Del has moved to L.A to work at W.O.O.H.P **

**Bonus Chapter**

* * *

"This is ridiculous." Clover announced, curled up in the loveseat next to Blaine.

On a rare night off with no missions or work for everyone, the spies and their significant others were relaxing at the spies' villa.

They were supposed to be watching some spy related TV program. The problem was that this TV show was so uninteresting and unrealistic that it was honestly making the blonde superspy sleepy.

Across from her in the living room, Sam and Tim were on the sofa with their legs tucked underneath them. Sam's head was on Tim's shoulder, but she sleepily lifted her head off her beau's shoulder at Clover's statement.

Alex and Del, stretched out on the carpeted floor, simultaneously cocked their heads towards Clover.

"This TV show is boring. And I'm bored." The blonde spy declared once more.

"I agree actually. This show is unrealistic." Tim drawled. The reformed agent let his look of distaste linger on the TV, where one of the spies had just slapped handcuffs on the criminal. "He makes it look so easy. But come on! Handcuffs aren't that easy to use."

"Tell me about it. I've both been in one and tried to capture criminals in one." Del chimed in. "It's never this smooth-sailing like in this movie." The handsome man couldn't suppress a snigger while he watched the program, but it was more of in bemusement rather than annoyance.

On seeing that Tim was about to comment, Alex quickly chimed in. "What do you suggest we do Clover?" She raised her eyebrows at her friend and gave the blonde a significant look.

Based on experience, once Tim and Del started on random topic, the discussions could get serious, long-drawn and very technical. And as much as Alex was starting to lose interest in the TV program, her mind was too relaxed to process any complicated stuff right now.

"I don't know. A game? Karaoke? A movie? Anything but this stupid show." Clover grumbled, folding her hands across her chest.

"A game sounds nice." Blaine answered after some thought. "I think I had enough of the TV for tonight." He rubbed his tired eyes.

"I second that." Sam raised an arm in agreement before letting said arm flop back on her lap. The red-head superspy snuggled closer to Tim, savouring in the warmth of the muscular body next to hers. She was feeling warm, comfortable and so relaxed. Sam stifled a yawn.

"Whatever you guys wanna do, someone better decide soon. Or I'm gonna have a sleeping cat cuddled against me." Tim commented. Blaine and Del sniggered, but no one missed the fond look in his eyes as he glanced at the red-head next to him.

His comment earned an indignant look from Sam as she raised her head off his chest. "Who are you calling a cat?" Her eyes flared in challenge.

"Did I? You must have misheard me." Tim drawled, his sea-foamed eyes bearing into hers. Sam merely stuck her tongue out at him before snuggling back into her beau's embrace.

"Real mature Sammy." He murmured in her ear. His action (and comment) made her blush slightly as she nudged him in the chest.

"So, what game do you guys wanna play?" While Sam and Tim were having their little moment, Alex had grabbed the remote and had turned off the television. The living area was now devoid of sound, making it quieter than before.

"What games do you girls have?" Blaine asked lazily from the loveseat.

Alex got up and paddled over to the cabinet where they kept the board games and cards. Opening the cabinet, she began reading out titles on the shelf. "Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble, Avalon, Game of Life…Candy Land…"

"Wow. Impressive collection." Tim whistled, absentmindedly stroking Sam's long hair simultaneously as he listened to what appeared to be a never-ending list.

"Well, that's the benefit of living with your friends. The collection is a build up of all our own games." Sam whispered from next to him.

"Clue… Twister…Magic set…" Alex continued reading.

Del, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly sat up and straight and snapped his fingers. "I have a few observation type guessing games we can play." He suggested. "It's something like the game Black Magic, if anyone has heard of it."

"Ohhh, sounds fun. I love Black Magic." Clover rubbed her hands together in glee. "I'm in."

"So am I." Tim nodded his head. Del's idea sounded interesting and fresh. And the reformed agent happened to enjoy the game of Black Magic, so anything similar to that was always welcomed.

One by the one the members of the group chimed in their agreement. Most of them had either heard of, or had played the game Black Magic before, and were curious as to what Del's game was.

"Great, shall we sit by the dining table? That way we're all facing one another." Del said. He had a point. The spies' dining table was a round shape, compared to their coffee table which was rectangular.

A few minutes later, everyone was comfortably seated around the dining table. Sam scanned the table. She was seated in between Tim and Clover, with Del directly across her. Alex and Blaine flanked on Del's either sides, with the former seated next to Tim.

"Okay. I actually learnt this game when I was posted to China on a deep cover mission." As a preamble, Del said. Everyone ahh-ed.

"Obviously, the game that I was exposed to was in Mandarin Chinese…But the generics of the game works in English nonetheless."

"Well, whenever you're ready man, the floor is yours." Tim did a dramatic gesture with his hands.

Del cleared his throat, before speaking in a clear, yet slightly ominous voice. "There are six of us currently in this room." He paused and looked at each person in turn, lingering for almost too long on everyone that it was borderline creepy.

"But what you don't know," he continued, "is that some of us are not really here."

He stopped.

Everyone exchanged queer and confused looks.

"What do you mean…not really here?" Alex whispered.

Unknowingly, tension started to build.

"The thing is…Some of us are humans, and some of us are ghosts." Del explained after a pregnant pause. "But I have the special eye to see who is human, and who isn't." He let out a half smirk, and a wink.

"But let us see, if anyone else has the special eye." He concluded his introduction.

Sam shifted in her seat, eager to begin. Del had did a brilliant job in setting up the atmosphere, and in giving the perception that he had a secret the others didn't know.

"Ready everyone?" At everyone's nod, Del smiled mysteriously. "Watch me." He said. Raising his right hand and curling it so that his pointer was the only finger raised, Del began his 'magic'.

"I'm getting something… You're a human," he pointed at Tim. "You're a human," he pointed at Sam.

"But…You're a ghost." He leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table, while pointing at Clover.

Blaine let out a laugh. "Oh, I've played this with a bunch of friends before, at a party. Okay okay let me try." The spiky-haired agent straightened up.

"You're a human, you're a human, but you are a ghost." Blaine pointed at Sam, Alex and Del in turn, making sure to place his elbow on the table at the end.

"Yep…Looks like Blaine's got the eye." Del smirked. The two men hi-fived.

There was a pause as everyone absorbed what had just transpired. The other four members were more confused than enlightened, having missed the subtle change of body movements when both men pointed at the 'ghost'. "Do it again." Alex had her thinking face on.

"Okay. Watch closely." Del eyed everyone seriously. Four pairs of eyes stared intently at Del.

"You're a human." He pointed at Clover.

"You're a human too." His finger moved to point at Tim.

"Hmm…You're a human as well." Del pointed to Sam.

"But…You're the ghost." A sparkle came to Del's eyes as his finger landed on Alex, and his elbow rested quietly on the table. The move was so slick and smooth that it appeared natural.

"What…" Sam cocked her head to the side. Her brain was on overdrive, analysing the patterns of names and of speech. But nothing jumped out at her. Those who were not in on the trick looked confused as well.

"Hmm…You're the human, but you're the ghost?" Tim tested a theory he had, by leaning forward significantly when he wanted to say who the 'ghost' was.

"Nope." Two simultaneous shaking of heads. Blaine and Del shared a knowing look.

"Could you guys demonstrate again?" The red-head spy urged.

"Let me do it." Blaine said. And again it went, around the table.

"Oh, can I try?" After her beau had singled out Tim as the ghost in the latest round, it was as if the pieces of the puzzle fell in place for Clover. She had managed to catch Blaine's action from the right angle, and felt confident that she had gotten the trick.

"Go ahead Clover." Del signalled the blonde to give it a shot.

"You're human." Clover pointed her right finger at Sam.

"And you're human." She pointed at Del.

"But…you're the ghost." Placing her right elbow silently on the table, Clover directed her finger towards Alex.

"She's earned the special eye." Blaine announcement proudly.

Clover did a mini-happy dance in her seat. "Yes!" A glimmer of satisfaction was in her eyes.

"…Can anyone enlighten me though? I'm still lost." Alex spoke up with an awkward smile.

"So am I." Tim's eyebrows were scrunched up and frown lines were starting to set in.

"Hold on, hold on. I'm thinking of a theory…" Sam held up a hand, deep in thought. Her mind churned out theories and possibilities, but nothing made sense.

"Can I try something? You're a human, you're a human, but... you're a ghost?" Sam pointed to Alex, Blaine and Clover in turn, uncertain of her actions. She made firm eye contact with each person that she pointed at.

"Not quite." Blaine shook his head.

"There's no need to think so hard guys. Just watch closely." Del urged, before gesturing for Clover to demonstrate the trick once more.

"Keep your eyes peeled." Clover said. And the game resumed once more.

* * *

**Five minutes later… **

Sam was starting to get frustrated.

Scratch that. Sam was starting to get very frustrated.

At herself, no less.

In the five minutes that transpired, both Tim AND Alex had managed to somehow catch on to the trick. She was now the only one left in the dark. And her friends were having real friend teasing her about her lack of ability to see the trick.

"You're the human, but you're the ghost?" Sam tried again. She had pointed at Blaine and Del, acting on a far-fetched theory that the people picked were alternating.

On Del's shake of the head, Sam felt her confidence dwindling just a bit more, and her frustration getting the best of her. She had always taken pride in being the brains of the spy trio, and her ability to decern patterns. To be the last person left to not understand a simple game was making her uncomfortable and frankly, disappointed at herself.

"Urgh." Sam groaned. "Kill me already." All that thinking was causing a migraine to come along as well, making Sam feel worse than before.

"It's quite simple love. Don't overthink it." Tim urged her on from beside her.

"I really don't know anymore. It doesn't fit any pattern." She murmured, on the verge of giving up.

"Do you want a hint?" From her other side, Alex asked kindly.

"No…I want to figure it out myself." Sam's shook her head, her stubborn nature getting the best of her.

"Do you still want to continue then?" Blaine asked.

"Could we come back to this later? My brain feels like I went through a Criminology exam." She sighed. She felt confused, lost and just lacking in confidence in her own abilities.

"Sure. How does a game of Monopoly sound?" Still as perceptive as ever before, Del picked up on Sam's frustrations, and quickly changed the subject.

Tim said nothing as everyone else left the table for a short break, only eying his girlfriend in concern. He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it. Sam's head slowly rose and her eyes met his.

_You okay? _A simple gaze said it all.

Despite her disappointment in herself, Sam managed a small smile. _I'm fine, don't worry. _She expressed through her eyes, returning the squeeze on Tim's larger hand.

"Sammy! What item do you want to be?" Alex called from the living room as she opened the Monopoly box.

"Coming." Sending another tiny smile at her beau, Sam got up from the table.

Tim watched her as she moved across the room, noting with slight concern that the smile didn't reach her eyes.

* * *

**Later that night…**

_What's the trick? I still can't figure it out…_

Sam was curled up in the study chair by her desk, deep in thought. In her bed a few feet away, Tim was fast asleep. As much as she tried her best, Sam couldn't fall asleep. Her mind kept going back to that game that Del had introduced them.

The subject of the game had been left unspoken as everyone got involved in the Monopoly game (which had finally ended with Tim and Sam being victorious). Despite the win, Sam wasn't satisfied. Her traitorous mind was analysing every inch of her memory of the guessing game, wanting desperately to crack the code that everyone claimed was 'so simple'.

_If it's so simple, then why can't I see it? _The pessimistic side of her thought glumly. What was wrong with her? Was she losing her touch?

_It's simple, they said. Don't overthink it, they said. Look closely, they said. _

_Well, I've stared darn hard. But I still didn't get it…What is wrong with me?_

Sam sighed under the breath for the umpteenth time that night. She buried her face in her knees, allowing her own disappointment and fears wash over her like waves.

"Sammy?" The redhead was shattered out of her musings by the husky voice of her boyfriend. Tim stirred from the bed. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, they scanned the room quickly before landing on the small form curled up by the study table.

"Sammy, are you okay?" Sensing that something wasn't right, Tim crawled out of bed and paddled towards the study table.

If possible, Sam curled herself up even tighter, making herself seem even smaller. She sniffed and lowered her head so that Tim would not see the sadness in her emerald eyes.

"Sammy?" Tim reached out and touched her arm. She shifted away from him, biting her lip. "Love, are you alright?"

Sam stared into space and willed herself not to cry. She didn't say a word.

This unresponsive version of Sam was beginning to make Tim worried. He knelt down so that he could see her face. With his large, coarse hand, he brushed a curtain of red-hair back and cupped Sam's cheek.

"Talk to me love. Are you okay?" His husky whisper was filled with warmth and concern.

Taking a deep breath to steady her emotions, Sam raised her eyes to meet his.

Tim's concern look only soften further when he saw the raw emotion reflected in Sam's emerald orbs.

"I fine…I couldn't sleep. That's all." She managed a weak smile.

_There is that half-smile thing again…_Tim resisted his own urge to sigh. _She thinks she can fool the world, but she can't fool me…_

"Hey." He sent a reassuring smile of his own. "You wanna talk about it?" They both knew what Tim meant.

Sam sighed, reaching over to bury herself in Tim's chest. "I just feel so stupid…" She trailed off. "Everyone could see it, but me. And I'm supposed to be the brains of the group…" A lone tear trickled down her cheek. Sam was really glad Tim couldn't see her face right now.

"Don't doubt yourself Sam. One game doesn't give the basis to question yourself." She heard him say. From her position on his chest, she could feel his chest vibrate with every word he spoke.

"My brain knows that." She sighed once more. "But knowing and believing are two different things."

"But honestly though love. Don't be too hard on yourself. You're brilliant. Who was the one that managed to secure us a win in Monopoly just now? And who was the one that lead the team to victory when we were playing Avalon last month? What about when you managed to fool Jazz-Hands? Hmm?"

"I guess…"

"I'm serious love. The outcome of one game doesn't mean you're losing your touch, or anything…" Tim said with conviction.

Sam raised her head from his chest and met his eyes. "It still amazes me sometimes how amazing you can be."

His sea-foamed eyes bore firmly into hers. "All for you Sammy, and you know it."

"Thanks Tim." Feeling much more confident now after being prep talked by her boyfriend, Sam finally let out a genuine smile.

"You're welcome love." His smile turned into a full-blown grin when she rewarded him with a long kiss on the cheek. "Shall we go back to bed?"

Sam nodded, and allowed herself to be led back to bed. As she settled down under the covers with her beau close to her, a final thought came to her mind.

She nudged Tim urgently.

"Tim? What exactly was the trick?"

Fin.

* * *

**So that's the end of the bonus chapter! **

**This is a real guessing game that I saw on a Chinese reality program. It got me thinking what if the spies and their significant others played this game…And this was the result haha. I really love Del's character, so I decided to add this one-shot to this Alternate Universe. **

**Hope you guys liked it and Merry early Christmas everyone! **

**Best always, **

**-TrixieNancy**


	16. Bonus Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Hope all is well amidst uncertain times! **

**This bonus chapter has been in my WIP folder ever since I finished the Unearthed Secrets story. But I've only gotten the time recently to finish it (I'm done with college!) **

**Hope you guys will like it! This is set a year after the epilogue (and eight months post Bonus chapter #1).**

* * *

**Bonus Chapter #2: **

_Dear Alex, _

_How fast time flies huh? It's almost been half a year since you and Del started your year-long Instructors' Training in Canada! How have things been? Del better be treating you well there, otherwise he'll hear from Clover and I when you get back! _

_Anyway, I wanted to tell you a piece of interesting news! I'm practically bursting at the seams here and it has been killing me not to call and tell you about it straight away, but I know how much you love receiving handwritten letters, and I think this will be a pleasant(ish) surprise (or a shock) for you! Here it goes…Jerry approached me a few days ago and asked me to consider the position of assistant head of W.O.O.H.P. _

_I KNOW…I was pretty shocked too when he first asked me…Completely flustered actually. I mean, I get where he's coming from, given his age and all. You know Jerry has been hinting at his desire to retire soon in the past year. But…I know what taking on the position of the assistant head means in the future when Jerry steps down…And I'm not sure if I want to in all honesty. Fieldwork has kinda always been my thing you know? I'm not sure if I'm ready to give it up. And I don't know if I can even head an internationally acclaimed company…sigh. I wish you were here Alex, you always give the best advice…I don't know what to do… _

_Jerry said to mull things over, and Tim has been nothing but supportive about the whole thing, says he will support me no matter what choice I make. Clover's being Clover over the whole thing I guess, raving about how she'll be glad to not have random W.O.O.H.P-ings whenever she's out shopping. Haha! But I know she's affected emotionally about the potential changes that might take place in W.O.O.H.P… Jerry's been our boss for..well ever. It'll be weird to say the least…Now I'm rambling…sigh. _

_Let me know what you think Alex? I'm really in a big dilemma right now, and I don't know what to do…. Sorry to dump all of my troubles onto you though. . If you could call me when you get this, that would be great. But anyway, stay safe Alex, and give my best to Del! Can't wait to see you soon!_

_Lots of love, _

_-Sammy._

* * *

Just as Sam finished signing off her letter, her sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps outside of her room door. She beamed to herself. Right on time.

"Sam?" Two quick raps on the ajar door. "Sam are you there?"

"In here Tim." The redhead superspy replied, placing her pen on her study table with a satisfied mood. The door swung open, and there was Tim Scam, fellow W.O.O.H.P agent and Sam's boyfriend, leaning by the doorway. To no one's surprise, the man was decked in blck running gear. The trademark sleeveless shirt he wore only emphasized his strong physique, that still captivated Sam till this day. In his hand, he held the key to the spies' villa (which Sam had entrusted a copy of to him sometime back).

"There you are love." Tim crossed the room quickly and dropped a chaste kiss to Sam's lips. "For a moment I thought you decided to go for a run without me." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Sam's lips subconsciously curled into a smile as she met her boyfriend's gaze. "I would never. I was writing a letter to Alex. To tell her about the…proposition Jerry gave." She said, gesturing to said letter on the table.

"Ahh…" Tim understood the internal dilemma that Sam was currently facing. Jerry's proposition needed serious consideration, for what the head of W.O.O.H.P was asking from Sam would certainly alter her future drastically. The reformed spy knew that the woman in front of him had never once considered that she would be offered the position of the (future) head of W.O.O.H.P. But then again the idea of Jerry retiring was one he had never once entertained since he re-joined W.O.O.H.P a year ago. It was thus a surprise when Sam had nervously told him a few days ago of Jerry's plan.

Upon reflection however, Tim had to admit that the timing and candidate were both right. While he was still active, Jerry had been starting to tire out easier. To train a successor would take at least a year or two, give or take. And Sam was one of the best candidates for the job. She was a natural leader and strategist, yet also always kept the wellbeing of others at the forefront. Not to mentioned that her years of service gave her a positive rapport and reputation at W.O.O.H.P. Clover and Alex came a close second, but they both didn't have the flair for strategy and detail which Sam had, a crucial skill in running an internationally renowned organization.

_Besides, Clover is happy with her role as a superspy and a design consultant for the Weapons Department…And I know she's eyeing on the position of Supreme Superspy…_Tim thought to himself. _And its' clear where Alex's passion lies, judging by her commitment to the year-long Instructor Training class in Canada. She'll make a great self-defence instructor to the incoming batch of recruits… _

"Yeah…I was hoping she could give me some advice…" Snapping out of his thoughts, Tim focused on what Sam was saying.

"Why don't you just call her?" He draped his arms over Sam's shoulders, effectively half hugging her from behind.

"We've been keeping in touch a lot by text, but Alex loves handwritten letters…" A fond smile crept onto Sam's face. "And besides, the schedule for her instructor training classes are so erratic that she is almost always busy. I don't want to distract her from her training by calling out of the blue." Sam explained, sighing when she thought of the conundrum she was in.

"You'll figure it out." Tim encouraged. "And know that I'll support you, whatever decision you choose."

Sam managed a small smile. "I know. Thanks Tim." She leaned into her boyfriend's embrace. The couple stayed there for a minute or two before Tim spoke up again.

"Alright you. Get changed." His sea-foamed eyes roamed her shapely legs appreciatively. _But that's only for my eyes only, no way is she going out for a run in those shorts! _"We're due for a run. If you are done with your letter, we could take the route past the post-office and have it mailed?" He suggested.

"Oh! Yes, I'm done! Give me five minutes!" Sam got up from her desk and hurriedly made her way to her walk-in wardrobe.

Tim couldn't help but chuckle at Sam's childlike excitement, all just because of a letter. He glanced at said letter on the desk, and the empty envelope (with the address already written).

While she was hunting for her running leggings in her wardrobe, Sam suddenly heard Tim's voice, slightly muffled because of the closet door that separated them.

"The letter on the table is for Alex I'm assuming? Shall I seal it up for you?"

"Sure, that would be great thanks Tim. I've already written Alex's address. Stamps are in the top drawer." She replied distractedly, finally spotting her leggings folded on one of the shelves.

Sam grabbed a matching top and slipped out into the adjacent bathroom to change. By the time she was done, Tim wordlessly handed her the sealed envelope with the letter inside.

"Thanks love. Let's go!"

* * *

**5 days later…**

It was nearly 7pm by the time Sam returned to the Villa she shared with her best friends. It was deadly silent, however. With Alex in Canada, there was only her and Clover. Her other best friend was currently on a date night with Blaine. Sam would have liked to spend the evening with her own boyfriend, but Tim was putting in a few extra hours at the Weapons Department. Apparently, some of the gadgets have been mysteriously malfunctioning, and it was part of his job to sieve out the problem and rectify it.

Sam would have offered to stay and accompany him, but she was absolutely drained from the mission she and Clover had that day. The redhead spy found it incredulous how Clover still had the energy for a date with Blaine after the mission they had. All Sam wanted was an early rest. _What I need is a nice long soak in the tub… _

Thirty minutes later, Sam climbed out of the bath, all the tension in her muscles having left her body. Slipping on her favourite matching pyjamas, Sam crawled into bed. She released a grateful sigh as she allowed her mind to just drift for a moment. The bath had rejuvenated her, and she was much more energized compared to when she had just reached home. _That doesn't mean I'll want to leave my bed though…_Sam thought, resting her head on the headboard.

At that moment, Sam's mobile rang, effectively cutting the silence in the room. Sam jumped a bit at the silent noise but reached over for her mobile nonetheless.

She hit the 'talk' button immediately upon realizing who it was.

"Alex! Am I glad to hear from you!"

"Hi Sammy! I got your letter today, thanks for sending it! How are you?" Came the excited voice of her friend on the other end of the line.

"I'm as good as I can be, I guess. I'm fine mostly, its' been a trying couple of days…" Sam answered, proceeding to narrate the events of the day's mission to her friend. They spent a couple of minutes catching up on each other's lives before Alex addressed the elephant in the room.

"So…Assistant Head of W.O.O.H.P?"

Sam only sighed heavily. "Yeah…I was caught off guard honestly… Never expected it." It was a proposition that had been lingering at the back of her mind all week, and one of the many reasons that contributed to the crazy week she had been having.

"What do you intend to do Sammy?"

"That's the think Alex…I don't know…" Sam answered honestly. "I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the idea."

"Well… If it puts your mind at ease, Jerry clearly respects you and your capabilities. And he would have his reasons for picking you as his successor. He wouldn't have chosen you if he hadn't known you could do it." Alex said matter-of-factly.

"I know Alex…" Her mind told her that Jerry was a meticulous person by nature and would not have broached her about the opportunity if he wasn't sure of his choice. Truthfully, she was honoured to be considered for such an essential position, but she still had her doubts on taking the important role. The amount of responsibility and pressure that would be on her scared her shitless, and she voiced her worries truthfully to her friend.

Alex was quick to reassure Sam that being afraid was normal. "No pressure or anything Sammy, but I really think you should give it a go. You'll never know what its' like until you tried it. And besides, things are not set in stone just yet. If you still feel like you are not suited after trying, then I'm sure you and Jerry can work something out."

Sam was thoughtful as she mulled over her friend's words.

"Just give yourself a chance Sammy. I believe you can, Jerry believes you can, Clover believes you can, and I am sure Tim is your greatest supporter in all of this. All I'm saying Sammy is that you'll at least think about it? Don't latch the door before it even opens." Alex said gently.

In spite of herself, Sam felt her spirits lifting somewhat at her friend's words of encouragement. "I'll think about it." The redhead spy finally said. "But no promises."

"I wasn't expecting any." Alex answered knowingly. "Thanks for giving yourself the chance Sammy. And if you do decide to take the leap of faith, know that I'm behind you a hundred percent."

"Thanks Alex. You always know what to say." Sam could feel her worries slowly being appeased by her friend's comforting advice.

"It's what I'm here for Sammy. Don't worry."

The two friends lulled into companionable silence for a while.

"Oh!" Suddenly, Alex's tone jumped a few semitones. "I almost forgot amidst all of the drama…Regarding the other little surprise that you mentioned in your letter…Can I just say I knew it? I freaking knew it!"

"What other surprise?" Sam was genuinely stunned at her friend's words. Her brain sprung to life, trying to remember what other things she had mentioned in her letter.

Alex appeared to have not heard Sam's question, too caught up in her excitement and outburst. "It's about time he asked you! Golly that man may be direct, but at times he really does beat around the bush and all. At least Del's not like that…We gave him the green light months ago, and he's only suggesting it now?"

Sam's memory drew a blank. She was completely at lost on what her friend was rambling on about. Surely she couldn't be talking Jerry's proposition right?

"Alex!" The redhead finally managed to catch her friend's attention mid-rant after half a minute. "What exactly are you talking about? What other surprise?"

Alex's reply had Sam's blood run cold. "Tim's hint of proposing to you of course! What else would I be talking about? Unless you're saying he's already done it?"

_Propose? Tim? _Her boyfriend had hinted once about marriage, but that was several months ago. Nothing had been set in stone, and he certainly did not broach the subject again. Sam felt that there was something she was not getting here. She opened her mouth a few times, but no words came out.

"Sammy? You there?"

"Tim…proposing?" She finally spluttered. "No! He did not suggest or even made mention of such things! At least not recently! What made you get THAT idea?" She was unaware of the growing crescendo of her voice, which led her last line to come out in a near high pitch screech.

"Umm…" Even in her growing state of agitation, Sam could hear the recoil of fear and uncertainty in Alex's voice. The redhead forced herself to maintain a cool head, taking a few deep breaths.

"The way you signed off the letter? It says here 'Sammy (soon to be Scam I believe?)' I'm sorry Sammy…the way you said it I just assumed that he finally broached the topic with you? Or at least suggested it?" Alex continued tentatively.

Sam stopped listening at the first half. "What do you mean the way I signed off the letter? I just put my name like I always do!" Completely forgetting her resolve to remain calm, Sam stood up and began pacing back and forth.

"That's not what it says in this letter…Hang on, I'll take a picture and send it to you." Sam could hear some scrambling on the other end of the line.

* * *

A minute later, she was staring at a snapshot of the last line of her letter. True to what Alex said, the signing off read _Sammy (soon to be Scam I believe). _Her eyes bulged and she sat heavily on the bed, leaning back heavily on her pillow. Feeling as if she was at the start of a nightmare, Sam blinked twice. But the same words remained on the screen.

Words that were in her handwriting.

Words that she was certain she didn't write.

"How…" The wheels in her brain turned at a frantic pace. "I didn't write those words…"

As if her brain heard a trigger phrase, her mind suddenly flashed to the day that she wrote the letter.

_Tim had been there…_She recalled. _I didn't seal the letter up…Tim did. While I was in the washroom changing clothes for our run…He must have added those words! There's no other solution! But…why? _

With that conclusion in mind, Sam felt many different emotions surfacing. But the few that stood out the most were disbelievement, anger and…**hurt.**

Tim was prone to playing harmless tricks on her, but he crossed the line with this one.

_He never once hinted in recent months that he wants to take our relationship a step further! And to put it so…bluntly and crudely in a letter! That isn't addressed to me no less! Shouldn't he PROPOSE first before even hinting anything to our friends? How could he do this? _Her emotions were running wild; Sam felt completely overwhelmed. She just wanted to scream, then curl up in a ball and cry.

"Sammy? You still there?" The concern in Alex's voice was obvious.

Despite her reluctance to do so, Sam shakily picked up the phone and placed her friend on speaker.

"Yeah…I'm here Alex…" Her voice was scratchy.

Alex wasn't Sam's best friend for many years for nothing. Her sensitive intuition had immediately picked up the change in tone and mood in Sam. "I'm sorry Sammy…I completely messed things up didn't I? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed! I'm sorry!" The athletic superspy launched into a string of apologies, clearly distraught.

"Not your fault Alex." Sam replied firmly. _It's Tim. It's all Tim. _ "Don't worry about it. I've got to go, talk to you later."

After she hung up the call, Sam laid sprawled on her bed, letting everything seep in. It was only mere minutes later did she seat up again, indignation running through her veins. Who did Tim think he was, playing such as cruel joke like that? Her heart hurt, and her eyes stung with tears of frustration. The fury and unjust brimming within her overwhelmed her senses, blinding her judgement.

Without pausing to even think, Sam stalked over to her wardrobe and quickly threw on the first outfit she could find. The redhead spy then grabbed the keys to her W.O.O.H.P-owned car she shared with Clover, before leaving her room.

As she laced up her shoes, she shot a one-liner message to Tim.

**You done for the day? **

The reply was immediate.

**Just turning into my driveway. Why? Miss me so much already? **

Normally her boyfriend's coy words would drive her into fits of giggles, but this time it only added to her growing irritation. Sam did not waste another second. She locked the door to the villa and hurried into the car.

* * *

**Twenty minutes later…**

Sam parked the car across the street from Tim's home. The yellow glow of lights in his living room was a clear indicator that the owner of the house had reached home, just like he said in his text.

The redhead superspy had not bothered to reply her beau's earlier text message, so he wouldn't be expecting company.

_Good. _She thought bitterly. Better to throw him off unprepared. _Just like he did to me with that little line he added at the back of my letter. _

The short drive to Tim's house had given her some time to think (although not very rationally). And the conclusions that Sam drew was not in favour for Timothy Scam. It was no secret that Tim was a master of many trades, and that included handwriting forgery. In the year that Tim joined W.O.O.H.P after his stint in the Reformatory Program, his skill in mimicking handwriting had come in handy during difficult missions.

To further confirm her suspicions, Tim had been the only one (apart from her) who had accessed to the letter before it was posted. And Sam knew **she** didn't add anything to the closing salutation, so that only left one suspect.

A suspect that she was currently going to confront and give a piece of her mind.

With her anger still simmering within, Sam marched across the street and fished out her key to Tim's home.

She did not bother masking the noise of her arrival, opening and closing the door behind her without much of a care. Taking off her shoes and slipping on a pair of home slippers, she went in search of the subject of her fury.

Practically making a beeline towards the stairs, she nearly missed the figure seated on the couch in the living room. "Sammy?"

* * *

Tim had in fact, gotten home twenty minutes prior. A quick shower had not done much to wash away the fatigue from the day, so he opted to settle on the couch with a much-needed glass of wine. He had barely taken a sip before he heard the key in the doorway.

There were only two people with the key to his house: Sam and Del. And seeing how the latter was currently in Canada right now, it could only be Sam. Now that Tim thought about it, she had never replied the text message he sent her.

His heart warming at the thought of some quiet time with the woman he loved, Tim waited for Sam to appear with a lazy half-smirk on his face. Another sip of wine later, he saw the redhead spy rushed across the corridor, heading straight for the stairs. It did not look like she noticed him in her haste, so he settled for calling out to her.

"Sammy."

She spun around immediately, red hair fanning out around her. From his position on the couch, Tim had a good view of her every move. When she spotted his figure, her nostrils flared, and she gritted her teeth. That triggered the first warning bells in Tim's mind that something was not right.

But it was when she stomped over to him, hostility and anger painted on her face, did Tim realized that something was really wrong. He hadn't seen that kind of emotion directed at him…Not since the whole 'Mac Smit' fiasco and then when he was part of the LAMOS…

"Sam?" He placed the wine glass on the side table and quickly stood up. "What's wrong?"

"You have some nerve Timothy Adrian Scam!" The redhead spy burst out the moment she got within arms' reach. "You may think that its' some sort of practical joke, but that was too much! Even for you!"

Sam's rage and sense of unjust was pouring out of her at such a fast pace that she did not register the obvious surprise and confusion that came onto her beau's face. Caught in the moment, she jabbed one finger onto his chest repeatedly, all while continuing her rant.

"I know you may think Alex is my closest friend and all, and she's seen me at my best and at my worst, but did you know how HURT and EMBARRESSED I felt when I had to hear your intensions from HER and not from YOU directly? I don't know what kind of game you're playing Timothy Scam, but I want no part of it!"

"What are you talking about Sam?" Tim was completely at loss. What had he done that upset her so much?

"Oh, don't try to play coy and innocent with me!" Sam shot back, her emerald eyes blazing with fury. "You added that last line in my letter to Alex!"

"What last line? I didn't write anything on your letter!"

Sam scoffed. "A likely story!"

"It's the truth!" Tim insisted, feeling his temper slowly building up minute by minute. He was already exhausted from the day's work at W.O.O.H.P, and now his beloved was blatantly accusing him of something that he had never done!

"Maybe you'll change your mind when you see this." In her blind anger, Sam was not easily believing anything that Tim said. She whipped out her phone, opened the screenshot that Alex had sent earlier, before essentially tossing the phone in Tim's face.

Sea-foamed eyes widened considerably at the words in front of him. _Sammy (soon to be Scam I believe?)_

"I didn't write that." He intoned in a deadpan tone, looking directly into Sam's eyes.

"Well I sure didn't write it." The fiery redhead shot back immediately. "So, are you saying a ghost did it?"

Tim bit his lip to contain a resort at Sam's sarcastic reply. As much as his patience was wearing thin, he knew a fight with Sam would not solve anything.

"I thought so." Taking her boyfriend's silence as admission, Sam huffed in irritation. Ignoring him completely, she began to pace up and down in front of him.

"How could you write such a thing? You never even ASKED me! Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't a proposal involve YOU asking ME? What made you assume I'll say yes?"

"Sammy…" Tim began, stepping forward.

"And now ALEX thinks that you HINTED or even ALREADY proposed! Hell, couldn't you PROPOSE to me first before you go around flaunting the fact that you BELIEVE that I'll soon be Mrs Scam?" Sam threw her hands in the air in mid-rant.

"Sammy." Tim said more insistently.

"Well let me tell you Tim Scam, if THAT was your idea of a PROPOSAL, I'm sorry to say I'm quite let down! I'm not asking for much, but at least a proper setting and a ring isn't too much to ask right? That was hands down the most INSINCERE proposal I've ever seen in my life!"

That did it. Those words cut deep, and Tim's temper rose to the surface.

"Insincere?" The dark edge in his tone finally managed to catch Sam's attention. "You want a sincere proposal then?" He all but snarled.

"Well I'll show you a sincere proposal." The reformed spy grabbed Sam tightly by the elbows, and practically dragged her in the direction of the stairs. Startled by the sudden action, it took several seconds before Sam remembered herself and began struggling in his hold.

"Timothy Scam! Let me go! I'm not going anywhere with you!" She shouted.

While Sam was strong, Tim had the advantage of height, muscle and built. Ignoring Sam's shouts of protest, the man continued the journey up the stairs and towards the direction of the master bedroom on the second floor. When they reached the (closed) door, Tim unhanded Sam, and sent a piercing look in her direction.

"I'll show you sincere." He declared once more and pushed the door open.

* * *

Paper cranes.

Hundreds of colourful paper cranes.

Hanging from the ceiling.

Sam couldn't help but let out an audible gasp. The colourful cranes had been strung on Christmas lights, which illuminated the room with many colours when the bulbs glowed. It was captivating, beautiful and intimate at the same time.

As if in a trance, Sam stepped inside the room, reaching up to touch one of the intricate cranes. It swayed slightly to the touch, but Sam's eyes greedily took in every single movement.

She examined several strands of cranes. _Every fold and every crease are different_, she noted with awe. While the nuanced differences in each crane emphasized the imperfections, Sam knew that behind every fold and crease, was a determined soul. _Tim… _The redhead's heart nearly melted; her anger diminishing with every second.

Turning her attention away from the magnificent view above her, Sam gasped once more when her gaze fell on the bed. Red and baby pink rose petals were scattered on the duvet, deliberately done to create the shape of a heart. And resting in the middle, was a small jewellery box. It did not take long for Sam's mind to realize what was about to happen, and a lump formed in her throat.

Tim, who had been watching Sam's with trepidation, relaxed when he noted the blatant anger fading away as time passed. He couldn't help but breathe another subtle sigh of relief as Sam's eyes welled up with emotion at the sight of the paper cranes, rose petals and the ring.

Realizing that Sam was about to take a step forward towards the bed, Tim moved swiftly, and wrapped her in her hug from behind.

She relaxed immediately in his hold, trying to hold back the wave of emotions crashing upon her. This was all too much. Sam's heart clench as she suddenly recalled the nasty words she had hurled at him in a fit of anger earlier.

Tim felt her tensing up and nuzzled his face in her neck. "If you weren't so work up earlier," he murmured in her ear, "I could have convinced you how I had nothing to do with the letter."

Sam was about to reply, but Tim pressed on. "I know, it doesn't make any sense, but I promise you I didn't do it. I would never play your feelings like that. **Never**." He said it with such conviction that Sam believed him wholeheartedly. Without the anger clouding her judgement, she could finally think rationally. In her heart, she knew that Tim would never do anything to hurt her, at least not intentionally.

"I'm sorry…" She rasped, turning around to face him. The regret shone clearly in her emerald orbs. "You probably had some big plans…And I ruined it with my assumptions and headstrong attitude." One hand touched the paper crane dangling near Tim's shoulder. She sniffed.

"Hey…Don't cry." A thumb caressed her face, wiping away the tears. Not all hope is lost love. It's not your fault. Honestly, some part of me is grateful. I've been wrecking my head on how to ask you…But I always chicken out." He admitted.

"How long have you been planning this?" Sam whispered.

"A couple of months…The cranes have been up for almost a month." He admitted. Sam gazed into her beloved eyes, and found love, as well as an underlying hint of uncertainty and vulnerability.

"Oh Tim…What hold you back? You know I'll say yes in a heartbeat." Sam cupped his cheek with one hand.

"I wasn't sure if you'll say yes." Tim spoke softly. He broke eye contact and looked up for a moment to get his emotions under control. "I'm seven years older than you Sammy. And my track record isn't exactly the best. The Scam's name has been trodden and shamed upon, thanks to my choices. I know you accept me, flaws and all, but there is some part of me that wonders if saddling you to a burden like me is the best for you." Speaking his internal turmoil out loud made it real, and Tim lowered his head in a bid to hide the vulnerability in his eyes.

It was heart-wrenching to see her normally strong boyfriend slowly crumbling underneath his own insecurities, but Sam was not to be deterred by that. She slowly raised his head until he was meeting her eyes again. "And what about what I think is the best for me?" She demanded quietly. "**You** bring out the best in me Tim. You are not a burden. You are a wonderful, fantastic, passionate and determined man that I'm proud of. Yes, you may have made mistakes, but who hasn't? Your will to change has redeemed the Scam name, and it'll be my honour to take on that name." Sam whispered, never breaking eye contact.

There was a pregnant pause, before Tim let out a rare smile that was reserved for her and her alone. He lifted their intertwined hands and pressed a long kiss to the back of her palm. Casting his gaze to the king-sized bed, he tugged her over. "Come. If I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this right." Sam smiled shyly and allowed him to lead her over to the bed.

Tim picked up the box holding the ring and fiddled with it in one hand. "Do you remember the story of Sadako and the thousand paper cranes?" He asked her.

"Of course I do. If I recall correctly, I was the one that told you the story." Sam answered, a glint in her eyes.

"Fold a thousand paper cranes, and the gods will grant you a wish" Tim summarized, nodding. "There are exactly three hundred paper cranes in this room, and another seven hundred scattered in the other rooms of this floor."

"So that's why you've been reluctant to let me stay over at your place!" Sam connected the dots.

"Partially. But that's besides the point love." A half-smirk adorned his face at his beloved's antics. "I've folded a thousand cranes, but the only wish I want is to be able to spend the rest of my life with you."

Sea-foamed eyes never leaving emerald ones, Tim Scam got down on one knee and opened the ring box.

"Samantha Simpson, say you'll grant me my wish and be mine forever?"

Sam could hardly contain her emotions. "Yes love. I will. Forever and always."

As the sparkling diamond ring was slipped onto her finger, Sam felt her heart soar with happiness. _I'm engaged! I'm engaged!_

* * *

Half an hour later, Tim and Sam were back in the living room, the former sipping the wine that had been left forgotten in the heat of things. Tim swirled the wine glass, watching his fiancée with a lazy smile. She was across the room, conversing animatedly on the phone with Alex. From time to time, she would stick out her hand and admire the beautiful diamond ring that now adorned her finger.

Tim sighed contentedly. The proposal had not exactly turned out the way he imagined. It was triggered by unconventional events, to say the least. But hey, since when were him and Sam a conventional couple?

The reformed spy was lost in his thoughts when suddenly his mobile rang. Looking at the caller ID, his smile broadening when he saw that it was Del calling. After the whole incident with Myrna a year ago, the undercover agent had become a permanent fixture in his life. And if his suspicions were correct, Tim had everything to be grateful for to his best friend indeed.

"Hello?" Tim answered the call.

"Judging from the squeals of excitement coming from the room next to mine, I'm assuming congratulations are in order?" The familiar baritone voice said wryly.

"Yep. She said yes." Tim confirmed, sneaking a quick glance at Sam.

"About time." The man on the other end of the line said. "Congrats man."

"Thanks Del. And thanks also, for you know, speeding up the process." Tim pressed on.

There was a pregnant pause before an awkward chuckle filled his ears. "I knew you would catch on. No hard feelings?"

"When I thought things through rationally. It could only be you." Tim responded. "Since I'm pretty sure Alex is not versed in handwriting forgery like you and I are. You're lucky Sam responded well; we nearly had a fight because of this you know? She was so adamant that **I **did it."

Del sighed. "I know man, and I'm sorry. I regretted my actions immediately when Alex called me earlier. She was completely distraught, saying that Sam blamed you for the mess. She was worried that we had messed things up for the two of you. We were **both** worried."

"Water under the bridge Del." Tim said easily. "Honestly, I'm grateful man. I don't think I would have mustered the courage to ask her so soon if it hadn't been for your intervention."

There was a short bark of relief laughter on the other end. "Thanks man. You have no idea how much I was sick of your whining and complaining every other night when we call. I saw an opportunity to help speed things along, and I took it. I told you your worries were unfounded, didn't I?"

"Yeah yeah rub it in man. Wait till its **your** turn. It'll be my time to laugh at you." Tim said easily, smirking.

"No thanks man. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle myself." Del's reply made Tim chuckle.

"We shall see in time then." Tim replied, spotting Sam hanging up her call and ambling over to him.

"Is that Del?" She whispered, sliding in the seat next to him. The reformed spy nodded.

"Could you put him on speaker?" Sam questioned with a sincere smile. Tim raised an eyebrow, but did as she requested.

"Hey Del, Sam here. Alex told me the whole story. It's a tad unconventional, and I must say honestly I don't think we needed that push, but thanks. It means a lot." Sam said.

"No probs Sam, happy to help. Sorry for unintentionally causing a whole lot of drama though. But you had no idea how much Tim has been moaning and groaning about when would be the best time he ought to propose." Del answered dramatically. "And lets' not get to the part where he would complain of back pains because he was sleeping on the couch."

"You've been sleeping on the couch?" Sam raised her head off Tim's shoulder to look at him in the eye.

Tim shrugged sheepishly. "The bed was kinda occupied…"

"Oh Tim." If it was possible, Sam's heart melted a little more. She intertwined her fingers with Tim's and gave it a fond squeeze. He smiled at her lovingly.

"And that's my cue to leave." Del's voice could be heard over the phone. "Congrats again you two."

"Thanks Del. And thank Alex too. We're really grateful." Tim answered for them both.

* * *

"So…" Sam began, once Tim tossed his phone on the sofa after they hung up the call. "Sleeping on the couch, really?"

"I told you, the bed was occupied." Tim responded. "My back may have suffered, but it was all worth it." His thumb caressed the finger that the ring was on.

Sam blushed. "Sweet-talker."

"But you love me anyways." He resorted.

"That I do." Her blushed deepened.

"Jumping the gun already? I don't think you're supposed to say that until we exchanged our vows Sammy." His trademark smirk was back.

She was as red as a tomato now. "Well then, if we're taking that route, I guess we shouldn't kiss until we've exchanged our vows then." She said teasingly, raising her brows in defiance.

Tim scowled as the mental image came to his mind. "Perhaps…But I think we can make an exception for that." He said easily, leaning over to capture his lips with hers.

* * *

_**Fin. **_

**Well, this wasn't supposed to be so long, but I'm quite happy with the result nonetheless!**

**Just in case anyone didn't get the backstory: Del was the one that forged the last line of Sam's letter (with Alex's consent of course). Tim was merely a victim of the plot. **

**Kinda missed writing Clover since she didn't make an appearance in this oneshot, but I hope you guys liked it nonetheless! Would be nice to hear what you guys think about it **

**Stay safe and positive everyone! **

**Until next time, **

**TrixieNancy. **


End file.
